Actor Derek Dixon has filed a $260 million lawsuit against media mogul Tyler Perry, accusing him of sexual harassment, assault, and workplace retaliation. The lawsuit, filed in June 2025, alleges that Perry created a “sexually exploitative dynamic” while Dixon was a regular on the BET political drama “The Oval.”
Dixon, who played the character Dale for 85 episodes between 2021 and 2025, claims the alleged harassment began with sexually explicit text messages. In an interview with ABC News, Dixon shared one message he claims was from Perry, which read, “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? Have y’all found that in therapy yet? I would hope that you would let someone hold and make love to you.”
According to the lawsuit, the alleged incidents escalated. Dixon claims that after filming his character’s shooting scene at the end of the show’s second season, Perry invited him to his trailer and allegedly asked if he was attracted to him. Dixon said he feared his character being killed off the show if he rejected Perry’s advances.
The complaint also details more serious allegations, including an alleged incident at Perry’s Atlanta residence where Dixon claims Perry “pulled my underwear down and grabbed my ass,” prompting him to lock himself in a bathroom. In another alleged encounter, Dixon claims Perry climbed into bed with him and began rubbing his leg.
Dixon said he stopped communicating with Perry in the spring of 2024 and left “The Oval” in September of that year. He alleges that a show he was developing with Perry, titled “Losing It,” was also stalled after he began rejecting the alleged advances, which he claims cost him his livelihood.
In a statement to People magazine, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, denied the allegations, stating, “Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.” Dixon’s lawsuit follows a January 2025 complaint he filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
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