Actor Derek Dixon has once again repeated his allegations of sexual assault against filmmaker and entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, following the filing of a $260 million lawsuit earlier this year.
In his first television interview since initiating the lawsuit, Dixon told ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis that the alleged abuse began when Perry, 55, invited him to stay at his guest house. Dixon, who played Dale in Perry’s BET series The Oval, described how difficult it was to come forward publicly.
“It’s been hard to tell my truth,” he said. “It carries a lot of shame, but I don’t want to stay silent about it anymore.Dixon recounted that during his stay, Perry allegedly climbed into bed with him uninvited, rubbed his leg, and made advances despite Dixon making it clear he was not interested.
“I think it’s OK that people try to make a move or shoot their shot, but if they get rejected, I think they should stop,” Dixon explained. “I thought it would stop after that, but it didn’t.”
He alleged a further incident in which Perry pulled down his underwear and grabbed his buttocks against his will. “Unless someone has been through having control of their body taken away, you don’t understand the feelings in that moment,” Dixon told viewers. “I didn’t know what to do.”
According to Dixon, he tried repeatedly to “de-escalate” and “distract” Perry during the incidents.
Dixon filed a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), several months after his character was killed off in The Oval. He claimed this was an act of retaliation and “a way of showing power.”
The $260 million lawsuit alleges both sexual assault and harassment, as well as lost income due to his dismissal from the show.
Perry’s legal team has strongly denied the accusations. In statements provided to ABC and other outlets, his lawyers have claimed that Dixon attempted to extort Perry, first seeking more than $40 million in exchange for silence.
“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,” Perry’s attorney said. “Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Dixon, however, maintains his lawsuit is about accountability rather than money. “I’m looking for accountability, something to deter him from doing this to someone else,” he said. He explained that part of the damages he seeks are tied to lost wages and career opportunities, while the rest is intended as a deterrent.
Asked what message he would give directly to Perry, Dixon became emotional:
“Never use someone’s dream to coerce them into a relationship. That’s not professional.”
The case is still in its early stages, and Perry has not been formally charged with any crime. The lawsuit and public accusations have placed both men at the center of a highly publicized legal and personal battle that is likely to continue making headlines as it progresses.