Tyler Perry has responded to the sexual assault allegations made by his accuser, Derek Dixon, calling the actor’s claims false.
According to People, Perry’s legal team filed court documents with the U.S. District Court’s Central Division of California, describing Dixon’s lawsuit as “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and—most of all—false.”
Dixon, 37, filed the $260 million lawsuit against Perry and Tyler Perry Studios in June, accusing the 56-year-old multihyphenate of quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and retaliation, Blavity reported.
In his court filing, Dixon claimed that Perry sexually harassed and assaulted him at the television and film director’s home, sent him suggestive text messages and subjected him to the same behavior while working on two of Perry’s television series during alleged incidents in 2020 and 2021. Dixon later resigned from Tyler Perry’s The Oval in 2024 and filed the complaint several months later.
Perry’s legal team responds to Dixon’s claims and lawsuit
Dixon alleged that Perry created “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while they worked together on Tyler Perry’s The Oval and Tyler Perry’s Ruthless, according to People.
In response to these accusations, Perry’s legal team said Dixon’s claims and lawsuit rely “on Hollywood stereotypes and the bad acts of others,” and that “Dixon distorts and tries to turn sinister Mr. Perry’s acts of platonic friendship and professional mentorship,” per People.
“Dixon invents alleged assaults and encounters that never happened,” the complaint states.
‘By his actions and false accusations, it is clear that Dixon needs help’
“Mr. Perry never assaulted Dixon or committed any sexual battery. He did not offer Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s television pilot script to threaten, coerce, or control Dixon,” the filing continued.
“And it is notable that in his effort to exploit his friendship and professional relationship with Mr. Perry to obtain a $260 million payday, Dixon was forced to lie not only about Mr. Perry, but himself too,” the filing reads.
Perry’s team further stated that Dixon filed the lawsuit not over Perry’s actions but because Perry could not sell Dixon’s TV pilot to Netflix, according to People. They also argued that the case was filed in the wrong state, stating that the claims should have been filed in Georgia, where the production was filmed. The case was previously moved from the Los Angeles County Superior Court to a federal court in California.
“By his actions and false accusations, it is clear that Dixon needs help. But he cannot find it in this Court,” the filing claims. “Although Dixon alleges that he was the victim of escalating sexual misconduct, he had no problem taking a role on Season 2 of Mr. Perry’s television series The Oval.”
Dixon’s attorney responds
Dixon’s attorney, Jonathan Delshad, responded to Perry’s legal team’s filing: “Perry’s filing provides no evidence to corroborate that the text messages in our complaint are fabricated,” Delshad said. “Our complaint includes text messages where Mr. Perry made explicit sexual remarks to Mr. Dixon, questioned him about his sex life, and dangled professional opportunities based on those interactions.”
“No employer has the right to manipulate or threaten an employee’s livelihood based on sexual expectations,” Delshad said. “We are certain that we will be able to prove to a jury that sexual harassment, assault, and battery absolutely happened.”
“I am convinced that Mr. Dixon is not the only one and that soon others will be sharing stories about Mr. Perry,” Delshad continued. “My client is not intimidated by wealth, influence or the celebrity status of Mr. Perry. Nobody is above the law. We are committed to holding Mr. Perry accountable to the full extent of the law.”