Tyler Perry Faces Quarter-Billion Dollar Lawsuit Over Alleged Predatory Behavior
We’ve been closely following the latest developments in Hollywood, where film and TV mogul Tyler Perry is now at the center of a $260 million lawsuit filed by actor Derek Dixon. Dixon, who worked on Perry’s TV shows The Oval and Ruthless, accuses the mogul of “terrible behavior” and creating a “coercive, exploitative dynamic”.
Dixon alleges that Perry promised him a successful acting career but then subjected him to escalating harassment, attacks, battery, and professional retaliation after Dixon did not reciprocate Perry’s unwanted advances. We’ve seen a pattern of such allegations emerging from Hollywood figures, and it seems that what we’ve been told about the industry’s darker side may indeed be true.
Allegations of Coercion and Unwanted Advances
The lawsuit states that Dixon first met Perry in 2019 at a work event for Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, and they discussed an acting career over several months. Dixon claims that Perry subsequently made “many spicy comments and remarks about wanting a bedroom relationship” and made several advances, which Dixon rejected.
Upon offering Dixon a role in Ruthless and later The Oval, Perry allegedly made it clear that if Dixon ignored him or failed to engage with his “bedroom innuendos,” Dixon’s character would be killed off in the next season. The case claims Perry consistently held this threat over Dixon’s head, implying that his character, Dale, would only survive if he kept Perry “happy”. In our view, this clearly points to Perry threatening Dixon’s job for not complying with his alleged demands.
Specific Incidents and Troubling Text Messages
The lawsuit cites several incidents, including one where Perry allegedly “essayed” (sexual assault) Dixon. Dixon claims Perry interrogated him about his “bedroom interest” in a trailer on the set of The Oval before pinning him to a wall and grabbing him. Dixon refused the advance and left the trailer.
To stop the continued harassment, Dixon stated he elected to quit his job on The Oval and declined a job offer from Perry to work as a writer. This action, including putting his name on the lawsuit and sacrificing his career, lends significant weight to Dixon’s claims, in our opinion. Unlike some anonymous allegations we’ve seen, Dixon starred in nearly a hundred episodes of Perry’s shows and has put his entire career on the line.
We’ve reviewed alleged text messages included in the court documents, and they appear to be quite damaging for Tyler Perry. Some of these alleged private chats include:
- “What’s it going to take for you to have guilt a guiltless hookup have y’all found that yet in therapy?”
- “I would hope that you would let someone hold you and make love to you you are missing the best years of your life my friend trust me I hope you get past that block in your mind”
- A warning from Perry to Dixon about disclosing their “new friendship” (which we interpret as romantic) on set, stating it would open Dixon up “to a lot of questions and foolishness” and suggest he wasn’t there based on talent.
- A message that we interpret as a clear threat to Dixon’s job: “I swear I know how to fix this ish i love taking out a mother effort in a show that no one expects you could be sipping a my Thai counting coconuts right now uh think about that last episode they are all fired on we don’t know who lives exactly i’m scared they should be too they’re not”.
- Another message stating, “I know I need to smell the roses more you are the rose but you are so blocked that you refuse to be smelt or opened”.
These alleged texts, in our view, are highly indicative of coercion at the very least, and strongly suggest Perry was attempting to initiate a romantic or sexual relationship.
Perry’s Defense and Our Perspective
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, has denied all claims, calling the lawsuit a “scam to make money” and asserting that Perry “will not be shaken down”. Boyd stated confidence that these “fabricated claims of harassment will fail”.
While it’s common for many lawsuits in Hollywood to be seen as attempts to “cash in,” we believe Dixon’s willingness to put his name on this lawsuit, given his prominent role on Perry’s shows and the career implications, suggests he has a strong basis for his claims. We often see media reports suggesting public opinion is siding with figures like Perry, but based on the alleged evidence, we find it difficult to dismiss these serious allegations. The implication that an employee’s job is contingent on engaging in a romantic relationship is a serious matter, and in our estimation, constitutes a crime.
We will continue to monitor this case as it unfolds.