Tyler Perry dismisses sexual abuse lawsuit as a ‘shakedown’

June 18, 2025 187

Tyler Perry’s legal team has rejected the sexual assault charges filed against the filmmaker as a “shakedown”.

Fellow American actor and screenwriter, Derek Dixon, has launched a $260 million lawsuit against Perry.

Perry’s lawyer, Matthew Boyd, says Dixon is an individual who got close to the actor and playwright for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.

Dixon says he met Perry at the opening party of his studio in Atlanta in 2019, before landing a role on the filmmaker’s show, Ruthless.

Dixon alleges that the filmmaker repeatedly made unwanted advances and created a coercive, sexually exploitative environment while they worked on the BET drama series.

The actor claims that Perry offered him a prominent role on the show as his sexual advances became more aggressive.

He alleges that the screenwriter, producer, and director controlled his employment, compensation and creative opportunities. Dixon accuses Perry of threatening to kill his career should he reject his advances.

In the lawsuit filed last week, Perry is accused of having “a troubling pattern of exploiting vulnerable male actors and employees”.

Perry’s lawyer has dismissed the allegations as fabricated, saying he is confident that the harassment claims will fail.

The lawsuit comes as Perry busks in the record-breaking success of his latest film, Straw, which has garnered the highest Netflix viewership for a movie in a single week.

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Tyler Perry has been accused of sexual assault . Beyonce is a huge fan and friend of him.

Why is Beyonce always associating herself with rapists? pic.twitter.com/HiDFQkPDGw

— Beyoncé Updates (@beyonceupdatesx) June 18, 2025

This is shocking! An actor, Derek Dixon, has hit Tyler Perry with a huge lawsuit filled with claims of harassment and sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/uqxZc7HtKd

— Michelle (@Bigbrother_all) June 17, 2025

I know I’m biased, but I believe anything Tyler Perry is accused of. Whatever they say he did, he did that shit. I believe it until evidence has been proven that he didn’t do that thing. He’s a billionaire, they’re evil and unethical people. I don’t put anything past them.

— AshleyStevens (@The_Acumen) June 17, 2025

The same story Derek Dixon is sharing of his alleged sexual assault from Tyler Perry is the SAME story Christian Keyes shared about a “Black Hollywood giant” that he’s worked w/ for yrs before he was bullied into deleting his videos from IG.

Believe survivors the FIRST time.

— thee taurus tyrant. ✨🇯🇲🍸 (@FatBlackLuxury) June 17, 2025

Tjo.

Tyler Perry accused and sued for sexual assault by an actor on his series “The Oval”. pic.twitter.com/cg0IW3skNb

— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) June 18, 2025

Written by: Lindiwe Mpanza

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