– Actor Derek Dixon alleges Tyler Perry created a coercive and intimidating work environment on the set of The Oval.
-Dixon claims Perry pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks, leaving him fearful of losing his job or being removed from the show.
– Perry’s attorney denies all allegations, calling them “an elaborate scam” and insisting that the filmmaker will not be coerced.
Filmmaker Tyler Perry, known for his Madea series and movies like Acrimony, is facing a $260 million sexual harassment lawsuit following allegations from actor Derek Dixon, who played Dale on Perry’s BET drama The Oval.
In his first on-camera interview with ABC News on September 9, 2025, Dixon described a work environment that he said blurred professional boundaries and left him constantly anxious about his career.
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He alleged that Perry pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks at the producer’s Atlanta home. Dixon said, “I was under constant stress, scared I’d lose my job or be killed off the show if I didn’t comply.”
Regarding the size of the lawsuit, Dixon explained it reflects both personal losses and a measure to prevent further misconduct. “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 also accused Perry of failing to produce a pilot he had written, which he claims Perry still controls. Despite the risks of speaking out, Dixon said he wanted 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 as false. “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,” Boyd said.
Dixon joined Perry’s productions in 2020 and filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January 2024 before leaving The Oval later that year. His lawsuit, filed in June 2025, has intensified scrutiny over workplace harassment and power dynamics in Hollywood. To date, Dixon remains the only publicly identified accuser, and Perry continues to deny all allegations.
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