How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have Met Tyler Perry's $260M Sexual Assault Case With Silence — Despite Billionaire Being Their Daughter Lilibet's Godfather
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aren't in Tyler Perry's corner just yet.
June 23 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have kept quiet despite their daughter Lilibet's godfather, Tyler Perry, being sued for $260million in a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The film director, who offered up his mansion to the royal couple when they first moved to California, has not heard much from Markle, 43, and Harry, 40, despite the shocking allegations.
Perry's Dilemma
Markle and Harry have yet to defend Perry amid his legal chaos.
The 55-year-old was accused by actor Derek Dixon, who starred in Perry's TV series The Oval, of sexual assault, battery, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress
In the lawsuit, Dixon claims the movie star likes to portray himself as a God-fearing protector, but instead subjected the young actor to "escalating" abuse and violence over several years.
"(Perry) held direct control over his employment, compensation, and creative opportunities," the lawsuit notes, alleging Dixon faced retaliation when he did not react well to Perry's unwanted advances.
Actor Derek Dixon accused Perry of sexual assault in a $260million lawsuit
Dixon also claimed the A Madea Homecoming star promised him various career and creative opportunities, but instead subjected him to "sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation."
While the lawsuit includes "sexts" sent by Perry to Dixon, the Hollywood notable has denied the charges, with his legal team calling it a "scam."
"Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail," their statement read.
Amid the drama, Markle and Harry have yet to step up and defend their friend.
Crickets From Markle and Harry
The couple had a place to stay when first arriving in America thanks to Perry, and eventually named him their daughter Lilibet's godfather.
In 2020, with no home locked down for themselves, Markle and Harry stayed with Perry in his $18million residence, despite barely knowing the billionaire.
Perry reportedly allowed the high-profile couple to stay for free and even offered up his security team.
"I’d never met him before," Markle said of Perry said in the 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan. "I was a wreck. I was just crying and crying. Sometimes it’s easier to open up to someone who knows nothing at all, and that was that moment with me and Tyler."
Following his kind gesture, Perry was named godfather to Markle and Harry's daughter, Lilibet.
According to Markle, Perry had sent them a note through their mutual publicist before the famous pair's 2018 wedding, relaying he knew all about the pressure they were under and even admitted he was praying for them.
Then, in 2022, Perry praised Markle on X on her birthday, and gushed: "I’ve had a front row seat in your life for the past few years. I’ve watched you endure things that would have broken a lot of people.
"I’m so incredibly proud to see how happy you, your husband, and your kids are now."
Markle's Hollywood 'Struggles'
Markle is said to have pulled out all the stops to get A-listers at her wedding, but has now appeared to turn her back on Perry.
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Perry may not have been on the guest list, but plenty of other big names were, as Markle was accused of stacking her invites filled with A-listers she "wanted to recruit" as friends.
Sources alleged Markle had ulterior motives when inviting guests like Oprah Winfrey, Amal, and George Clooney.
"The celebrity guests were a portrait not of Meghan's intimate circle but of the friends she most wanted to recruit," royal insider Tina Brown, who wrote the book The Palace Papers, said.
Markle is said to be "struggling" get make her way in Hollywood, especially since she was unable to reel in big-time names for her short-lived Archetypes podcast on Spotify.
"They struggled to book guests. They had a real hard time, and it shows," a source previously said.
