Tyler Perry Accused of Sexual Abuse by Star of ‘The Oval’

Tyler Perry is used to writing and directing over-the-top melodrama of the highest level, but he has now found himself on the real side of that following revelations of some very serious allegations being leveled against him. The details involve years of alleged harassment from the star of one of Perry’s TV shows, The Oval.

Per TMZ, Perry is being sued for sexual assault by an actor named Derek Dixon, who portrayed the character of Dale on Perry’s hit television series The Oval. In Dixon’s lawsuit, it’s revealed that the pair met at an event in 2019 and that he was picked from the crowd by the prolific producer, writer, and director, with Perry requesting his phone number because he thought he might have a role for him. Dixon was eventually given a small role in two episodes of a series called Ruthless, and it was following this that Perry allegedly invited Dixon to his home in Atlanta in January 2020. The actor was hoping to develop a friendship with Perry that might land him more roles, but Dixon’s lawsuit alleges that he ended up drinking too much and ended up sleeping in a guest room where Perry proceeded to get in bed with him and began touching his thighs. Dixon claims he rebuffed Perry’s advances that night, but it didn’t end his interest in the actor.

Tyler Perry’s The Oval Cast and Character Guide

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The Alleged Harassment Continued After Derek Dixon Landed a Role on ‘The Oval’

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Following this incident, Dixon landed the role of Dale on The Oval, and the actor alleges that Perry’s advances only became more intense. According to Dixon, Perry sent him several sexually explicit texts, which included asking Dixon about his sexual preferences and allegedly revealing that he also engages in sex with men. Dixon thought his career would be over should he reject Perry entirely, so he told him that he wasn’t “the sexual type” to get Perry to back off.

At a later date in 2020, Dixon alleges that he was invited to Perry’s Atlanta home again, and things escalated. While the encounter began pleasantly enough, Dixon claims that the conversation saw Perry asking the actor if he “likes it rough in bed.” He then claims that Perry grabbed him by the throat and said, “Look how excited you just got.” Dixon claims that he pushed Perry off of him and the incident stopped there.

Another alleged incident took place, once again, at Perry’s home in Atlanta, in 2021, while Dixon was staying in his guest house. Dixon alleges that he was only wearing underwear when Perry came into the room to give him a hug goodnight. Dixon claims that Perry stripped off his underwear and grabbed his butt while saying, “Relax and just let it happen.” Dixon claims that he was able to stop the incident by merely changing the subject.

Dixon had had enough by 2024 and filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission and then went on to quit The Oval. Dixon’s lawsuit is against Perry and Tyler Perry Studios, and he’s seeking $260 million, citing workplace sexual harassment and sexual assault, and battery. Dixon has included years of text messages between the pair in his lawsuit that appear to showcase sexually charged messages being sent by Perry. Also of note in the lawsuit is that Dixon’s character of Dale was written to be gay, homeless, and someone desperate enough to sleep with other characters to have a place to stay. Dixon alleges that Perry told him this is what he was looking for in a real partner for sexual activity because they would be dependent on him.

Perry has commented on the matter through his lawyer, Matthew Boyd, calling it all a “scam.” Perry’s lawyer said, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.” Perry is currently in the spotlight as his latest Netflix film, Straw, has been dominating on the streamer, and he has another Madea film on the way on the platform. Definitely not good for business to have a story like this out there.

Source: TMZ