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Although the Ruthless actor called the ordeal “terrifying,” he claims the June filing was about defending other creatives from having to “choose between their dreams and their dignity.” He explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them.” In the first interview since coming forward, Dixon discussed the alleged harassment that he claimed escalated to a sexual assault that he reportedly thought would end in rape.

Many comments latched onto speculation about Perry’s sexuality, which Dixon shut down. While the openly gay actor’s lawsuit noted that he “did not know that Perry was interested in men or that he was looking for a sexual relationship,” Dixon emphasized that the real issues are the alleged sexual harassment and assault.

“I’m not going to speak for him on how he identifies sexually,” he said about Perry, who broke up with Gelila Bekele, the mother of their 10-year-old son, in late 2020. “Regardless of his sexual orientation or gender, he should not be speaking to any of his employees whether they be men or women, gay, straight or bisexual about their sexual preferences, how often they’re having sex and physically assaulting them.”

As BOSSIP previously reported, days after the June 13 suit was filed, Perry’s legal team denied all the allegations as a “scam.” In a statement from attorney Matthew Boyd, he called Dixon an “individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.” He continued, “Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”

Read how Derek Dixon claims a chance meeting with Tyler Perry allegedly escalated to harassment and assault after the flip.

The post Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Breaks Silence On $260M Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Doubles Down Amid Mogul’s ‘Scam’ Speculation appeared first on Bossip.



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Tyler Perry accuser Derek Dixon is speaking out.

The actor, who has starred in Tyler Perry’s The Oval for 85 episodes between 2021 and 2025, has spoken to The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview. Dixon filed a lawsuit against Perry June 13, alleging that the media mogul sexually harassed and assaulted him, including groping his buttocks at Perry’s Atlanta home and sending sexually suggestive texts, such as calling him “thick.”

Dixon told the outlet via email, “I couldn’t just let him get away with this. Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them. My goal is to help ensure that the next generation of actors and creatives don’t have to choose between their dreams and their dignity.”

Dixon describes an alleged pattern of misconduct in the workplace

Dixon alleges that Perry has “engaged in a pattern of exploiting male actors in his productions and using his power in the entertainment industry to harass employees,” the article states. Dixon recounted the high points of his lawsuit, stating that he met Perry in Sept. 2019 while working as an event coordinator for Legendary Events. The company was organizing the opening party for Tyler Perry Studios when Perry singled Dixon out.

Perry eventually gave Dixon the role of Dale in Tyler Perry’s Ruthless after meeting him and promised that the role could grow. Dixon later transitioned with the character from Ruthless to The Oval.

According to Dixon’s lawsuit, the role and other offers were used by Perry to allegedly hold power over him. Dixon claims Perry had a tendency to kill off characters played by actors he wanted to control, including Dixon’s, which created a dynamic where actors would do whatever it took to keep their characters—and jobs—secure.

Dixon also said Perry once complained that people didn’t give him anything in return for what he provided, and told Dixon, “I couldn’t piss him off or my character could easily just stay dead.”

Dixon stated in the lawsuit that he didn’t initially know if Perry was interested in men or seeking a sexual relationship. Dixon, who is gay, said he will not speak for Perry as to how he identifies.

“Regardless of his sexual orientation or gender, he should not be speaking to any of his employees, whether they be men or women, gay, straight or bisexual, about their sexual preferences, how often they’re having sex, or physically assaulting them.”

Dixon recounts alleged incidents

One of the major points of Dixon’s complaint is his account of a January 2020 incident at Perry’s house. Both men had consumed alcohol, and Perry told Dixon he was too drunk to drive home and offered him a place to sleep in the guest room. Dixon said that after he went to bed, “[Perry] climbed into bed with me and began rubbing my thigh. I immediately jumped out of the bed and said, ‘I’m not that sexual’ and stood up until he left the room. I thought that my reaction made it clear that night that I was not interested.”

Dixon said Perry encouraged him to write a pilot while The Oval was on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Perry read the finished script, he told Dixon he loved it and wanted to shoot it.

“I couldn’t believe he actually liked it, much less wanted to shoot the pilot for it,” said Dixon, adding that Perry’s offer made him feel grateful. “It was one of the best things to ever happen to me at the time.”

Dixon believed that he and Perry were on the same page and that nothing inappropriate would continue.

“There were times when I was around him and nothing would happen. So I thought he got the picture, and that created a false sense of security,” he said. “… I now realize I let my gratefulness for what he’d done for me cloud my self-respect.”

Later, Dixon came to believe that Perry—who was under contract with Viacom and couldn’t shop Dixon’s show for two years—was only using the pilot as leverage.

“I believe he was trying to dangle my dreams in front of me for as long as he could to prevent me from talking,” he said.

Dixon is seeking $260 million in damages.

Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, told The Hollywood Reporter that he believes Dixon is “an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.”

“Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail,” said Boyd.

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