Filmmaker Tyler Perry, known for Acrimony and his popular Madea comedy series, is battling a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit after actor Derek Dixon, who played Dale on Perry’s BET drama The Oval, went public with allegations of harassment and abuse.
In his first on-camera interview with ABC News on September 9, 2025, Dixon claimed Perry fostered a coercive dynamic that blurred professional boundaries and left him fearful for his career.
He alleged that Perry pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks at the producer’s Atlanta home. “I was under constant stress, scared I’d lose my job or be killed off the show if I didn’t comply”.
Explaining the damages sought, Dixon said the lawsuit reflects both personal losses and a deterrent against future abuse.
“Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show. The other part of that is a deterrent, how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this?” he said.
Dixon also accused Perry of failing to deliver on a promise to produce a pilot he had written, which he said Perry still controls.
Despite the risks of speaking out, Dixon said he went public “to protect future generations of actors and creatives,” adding, “Never exploit someone’s aspirations to coerce them into a relationship. That’s unprofessional.”
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, dismissed the claims, saying, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be an elaborate scam. But Tyler will not be coerced, and we are confident that these unfounded harassment claims will not succeed.”
Dixon, who joined Perry’s productions in 2020, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2024 before leaving The Oval later that year.
His June 2025 lawsuit has since intensified scrutiny of workplace harassment and power dynamics in Hollywood.