Derek Dixon Details Alleged Abuse by Tyler Perry, Seeks $260m
According to Dixon, the harassment escalated in early 2020. He alleges that after an invitation to drink at Perry’s guest house, Perry climbed into bed with him, rubbed his leg, and made remarks about wanting him to “turn around so I can look at you.”
Actor Derek Dixon has gone public in his first televised interview since filing a $260 million lawsuit against media mogul Tyler Perry, accusing him of sexual harassment and assault. The interview aired on ABC News Live on September 9, 2025. Dixon alleges a history of inappropriate conduct beginning in 2019.
Dixon says he first met Perry at a studio opening party in 2019, when Perry asked if he was an actor and suggested they “talk about this.” Dixon later landed a role as “Dale” on Perry’s BET series The Oval, acting in 85 episodes between 2021 and 2025. During this time, Dixon claims Perry began sending sexually charged text messages, including one asking, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? Have y’all found that in therapy yet?”
According to Dixon, the harassment escalated in early 2020. He alleges that after an invitation to drink at Perry’s guest house, Perry climbed into bed with him, rubbed his leg, and made remarks about wanting him to “turn around so I can look at you.” Dixon claims he rebuffed Perry’s advances and that the actor’s refusal to participate led to tension.
In another incident at the end of a season of The Oval, Dixon alleges that Perry asked him to drinks in a trailer where Perry then inquired if Dixon was attracted to him. Dixon says he responded by saying he was flattered, but not interested, after which the scenes became physical: Perry allegedly pushed him against a wall, grabbed his buttocks, and dismissed his resistance.
Dixon reports he ended communications with Perry in spring 2024 and departed from The Oval in September 2024. He also claims that a show he was writing, titled Losing It, which Perry owned rights to, never progressed beyond the pilot stage.
Perry’s legal team has dismissed the allegations as “fabricated claims of harassment,” calling the lawsuit an attempt to “shake him down.”
In total, Dixon said the lawsuit covers losses including salary, job opportunities, and income, as well as seeking to set a precedent that such alleged behavior does not go unchallenged in the entertainment industry. He told ABC News he wants accountability, not only for himself, but to ensure others are protected from similar experiences.
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