EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Perry's Sexual Assault and Harassment Accuser Derek Dixon Reveals Why He's Seeking $260Million in Damages and Claims He Couldn't 'Stay Silent' With Allegations

Derek Dixon has accused Tyler Perry of sexual assault and harassment, seeking $260M in damages.
Oct. 20 2025, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Tyler Perry's sexual assault and harassment accuser is speaking out for the first time since lodging a scandalous $260 million lawsuit against the billionaire movie mogul, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Actor Derek Dixon claimed he could no longer "stay silent" about his alleged experience.
Decision To Speak Out

Actor Derek Dixon accused Tyler Perry of creating a 'coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic' while working on 'The Oval.'
"It's been hard," he admitted. "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's suit, which was filed in Los Angeles in June, accuses the Madea mastermind, 56, of using his powerful position to create a "coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic" during the performer's tenure on Perry's TV project The Oval.
According to the civil complaint, Perry allegedly sent suggestive text messages to Dixon, including one asking: "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?"
The suit claimed the screen stud "carefully navigated a friendly demeanor to prevent the loss of income and opportunity," but alleged pushy Perry sexually assaulted him, "including one instance where he forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself" on the younger guy.
The lawsuit claimed: "Perry sought the one thing his wealth and influence could not purchase – a sexual relationship with a man who would remain silent."

According to the lawsuit, Perry allegedly sent Dixon text messages, including one asking: 'What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?'
And when it comes to Dixon's staggering damages request, he claimed to have settled on the eye-watering amount after considering his alleged personal losses and the desire to send a message.
Dixon, who claimed he quit The Oval to escape from Perry's alleged behavior, claimed: "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."
Perry's Lawyer Releases Statement


Attorney Matthew Boyd dismissed the $260 million complaint, calling it a 'scam' and denying all claims against Tyler Perry.
Meanwhile, Matthew Boyd, a lawyer for the filmmaker, issued a statement refuting the allegations and bashing the lawsuit as a cash grab.
"This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam," Boyd's statement declared.
"But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail."