Actor Speaks Out Over Alleged S**** Assault by Tyler Perry: “It’s Been Hard. There’s a Lot of Shame Around It”

Actor Derek Dixon has gone public with serious allegations against media mogul Tyler Perry, marking his first TV interview since filing a $260 million lawsuit earlier this year.

Speaking with ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis on Tuesday, Dixon shared that he wanted to break his silence despite the difficulty of discussing the situation. “It’s been hard,” he said. “There’s a lot of shame around it. Just trying to think what you could have done better and having to deal with the judgment of how you could’ve ended it better without being in that situation.”

Dixon first met Perry in 2019 at a studio opening event while working for an events company. Perry allegedly offered his number and encouraged Dixon to discuss acting opportunities.

In early 2020, Dixon landed a role as “Dale” on Perry’s BET show The Oval, appearing in 85 episodes over four years. According to Dixon, during that time Perry allegedly sent him s**** text messages, including one that read, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless s**? Have y’all found that in therapy yet? I would hope that you would let someone hold and make love to you.”

The lawsuit claims that the alleged harassment escalated into physical encounters. Dixon described instances where Perry allegedly acted inappropriately during social visits and on set. “I got into bed and then I noticed that he climbed into bed with me as well and started rubbing my leg. I jumped out of bed…he had said, ‘Turn around so I can look at you’ and just comment on how I looked. And then he got up and left,” Dixon told ABC News.

In other incidents, he alleges Perry forced physical contact and made sexually explicit demands, which left Dixon feeling unsafe and pressured.

Dixon says he stopped communicating with Perry in spring 2024 and left The Oval later that year. A show Dixon was writing called Losing It, owned by Perry, was never developed past the pilot stage.

In January, Dixon filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, citing workplace misconduct. Dixon explained that the $260 million lawsuit covers lost income, lost opportunities, and serves as a deterrent against future misconduct by someone in Perry’s position.

“Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show. The other part of that is a deterrent for how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this,” he said.

Dixon hopes the lawsuit encourages accountability. “I want Tyler Perry to take accountability for what happened,” he said. “The lawsuit taught me to not treat your employees this way and to never use someone’s dream to coerce them into a relationship that’s not professional.”

When asked what justice would look like for him, Dixon said, “It would look like thinking I’ve made a change and that something like this won’t happen to another actor that works for him or another actor in the industry. That would be justice for me.”

This case is a serious and troubling allegation against one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures. It highlights the vulnerability of actors in positions where power is heavily imbalanced. It will be important to follow how the legal process unfolds and what consequences, if any, may come from these claims.

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