Tyler Perry hit with sexual harassment allegations in $260 million lawsuit

An actor and screenwriter has accused Tyler Perry of sexual harassment, alleging in a lawsuit that the media mogul repeatedly made undesirable advances and sought to cowl up an assault with a suggestion to develop a present.

The 46-page criticism, filed final week in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket plaintiff, seeks punitive damages totaling $260 million and compares the allegations to these of different well-known leisure trade figures accused of sexual misconduct.

“Mr. Perry’s success has led him to imagine that cash and affect can get him no matter he desires,” the criticism states, including: “Mr. Perry sought the one factor his wealth and affect couldn’t buy — a sexual relationship with a person who would stay silent.”

In an announcement, a lawyer for Perry accused the plaintiff, Derek Dixon, of attempting to get near the defendant “for what now seems to be nothing greater than organising a rip-off. However Tyler is not going to be shaken down and we’re assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”

In accordance with the lawsuit, Perry provided Dixon — who on the time labored for an occasions firm — his first performing function in 2019. Just a few months later, he invited Dixon to his dwelling in Georgia and served him a number of drinks earlier than telling the aspiring actor to remain in his visitor room, based on the go well with.

Perry all of a sudden appeared in Dixon’s mattress and started groping him, based on the go well with.

“Dixon saved informing Perry that he was not into intercourse with the intention to hold Perry at bay whereas on the identical time not insulting the one that was dangling his profession in entrance of him,” the go well with states.

Perry continued to textual content Dixon about his intercourse life, based on the go well with, which says that the extra the actor ignored Perry the extra aggressive he turned. After Dixon give up his job and took a job on Perry’s present, “The Oval,” the go well with says, Perry would ask concerning the actor about his sexual preferences; go on sexually express rants; and name or textual content Dixon nearly each day, treating him as his on-call “pet.”

Dixon’s character in “The Oval” was scripted to be shot on the finish of the season, however based on the go well with, Perry indicated that he could survive the capturing and seem in future seasons if Dixon did a “good job.”

“Dixon instantly understood his job safety trusted his ‘relationship’ with Perry,” based on the go well with, which provides that Perry warned Dixon to not talk about any of their conversations with castmates or inform them about their friendship.

The go well with accuses Perry of groping Dixon twice in 2020, together with throughout a forged journey to the Bahamas. In 2021, whereas at Perry’s home, the filmmaker allegedly pulled down Dixon’s underwear and “started to vigorously seize, grope, and play with Dixon’s buttocks in a sexual method. Dixon was bare, shocked and seized by large worry.”

After the alleged assault, the go well with says certainly one of Perry’s attorneys instructed Dixon that “Christmas got here early” as a result of he’d performed job on “The Oval.” He was given a increase for the next season, based on the go well with, and Perry wished to purchase the rights to shoot a pilot for a script Dixon had written, referred to as “Shedding It.”

The go well with says Dixon struggled with the choice about whether or not he ought to go public with allegations of sexual assault or settle for Perry’s cash. He in the end “bowed to the strain,” the go well with says, and sought to advance his profession.

Whereas Perry bought the rights to the script and filmed it, the go well with states, he “had no intention of ever producing ‘Shedding It.’ Perry by no means made any effort to promote the present or store it. Perry was solely utilizing the present as a quid professional quo to Dixon, holding its manufacturing over Dixon’s head just like the sword of Damocles.”

The present was not developed, based on the go well with, and Perry later provided Dixon a place as a author on certainly one of his reveals. Dixon turned Perry down and filed a criticism with the Equal Employment Alternative Fee. The standing of that criticism was not instantly clear.