In bizarre news, beloved filmmaker and media titan Tyler Perry is now the subject of a sexual assault lawsuit brought against him by actor Derek Dixon, who was featured in two episodes of Perry’s Ruthless before securing a spot on his network drama The Oval. The case, already generating significant publicity, contributes a dark chapter to the generally unblemished reputation of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated confidence men.
The lawsuit, which TMZ surfaced, states that Dixon says he had a professional relationship with Perry that started in 2019 after he met the director at an event. Perry is said to have requested Dixon’s digits and showed interest in possibly taking him in a future role. The actor says their first meeting, a precursor to his debut on Ruthless, heralded what he believed would be a huge career moment.
But the events that ensued are disturbing, to say the least. In January 2020, Perry invited Dixon to his Atlanta home, Dixon says. Hoping that this would help them develop a closer friendship and potentially open up more acting jobs, Dixon agreed. But a court has heard what was supposed to be a friendly visit quickly evolved into a night of discomfort and unwelcome advances. Dixon says, having been drinking heavily, he decided to “sleep it off” in the guest room and was “awoken” when Perry climbed into bed with him and began touching him without his permission.
Check out this article: Antonio Brown Faces Attempted Murder Charge
The actor alleges that he quickly rejected Perry, who then allegedly continued to misbehave. Based on the lawsuit, Perry would not take no for an answer and was said to have sent sexually charged messages after the incident in the weeks that came. Dixon says he tried to handle the situation carefully, not wanting to wreck his career prospects by saying no to one of the most powerful figures in the business. He told Perry he was not the sexual type and hoped that would stop the advances.
Screenshots of these purported messages, now widely available online, have further stoked public curiosity. Perry’s camp, meanwhile, has vehemently denied the accusations, deeming them “fabricated” and dismissing the whole lawsuit as a “scam.” This statement strongly indicates that Perry plans to go on the offensive against the charges. As the lawsuit progresses, the industry is paying close attention. The case raises questions about power dynamics, agency, and the price of voicing allegations in Hollywood. Tyler Perry is, of course, claiming his innocence, and we will soon see how much truth there is in these allegations, in a legal as well as public sense, when the dust settles.
