Derek Dixon — the rising actor currently suing Tyler Perry for $260,000,000 — has been steadily making a name for himself in Black Hollywood with roles in Perry’s BET+ series’ Ruthless and The Oval.
Despite Perry’s assistance with his career, Dixon has filed a bombshell complaint in Los Angeles, accusing the coveted actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and playwright of sexual harassment, assault, and professional retaliation. The suit alleges that the once professional relationship between him and Perry quickly turned left, with him claiming that career opportunities became tied to unwanted sexual advances and coercion.
Dixon claims that what was meant to be a career-defining role on The Oval instead left him battling anxiety, PTSD, and a strained professional relationship with Perry. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the actor alleges that Perry made repeated sexual advances, including an incident where the media mogul allegedly entered Dixon’s guest room uninvited and began touching him.
The complaint further accused the Madea creator of sending multiple unsolicited and sexually suggestive text messages, several of which are included as evidence in the alleged affair.
Tyler Perry attends “Tyler Perry’s Straw” New York Screening at The Plaza on June 03, 2025 in New York City.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? Have y’all found that yet in therapy?” one of the messages allegedly reads from Perry. “I would hope that you would let someone hold you and make love to you. You are missing the best years of your life, my friend. Trust me. I hope you get past that block in your mind soo,” allegedly reads another. At one point, Perry allegedly sought validation on a beach photo, hoping for Dixon to see him as a “stud,” all while Dixon admitted he was “trying to get off.”
The alleged text exchange touched on a range of personal and professional topics — from Dixon sharing his struggles with a religious mental block, to Perry cautioning him against revealing their growing friendship on set.
“Listen to me. If you let the cast know that you and I have a new friendship then you are opening yourself up to a lot of questions and foolishness,” the message allegedly read. “You want them to KNOW that you are there because of your talent and not because we have a friendship or because Tony got me to give you a job. You earned your spot like everyone else. Don’t give people an opportunity to play you small or they will.”
According to Page Six, Perry’s lawyer, Matthew Boyd, called Dixon’s lawsuit a “shakedown.” He said, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.” Tyler Perry has yet to respond to any of Dixon’s allegations.
The bombshell lawsuit has left many to ponder: “Who exactly is Derek Dixon?” and if his complaint could shake one of Hollywood’s most powerful players. To give readers more insight into who Derek Dixon is, VIBE has compiled a few facts about the actor.
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Of Irish Descent and Studied At Marymount Manhattan College
Image Credit: Instagram/Derek__Dixon According to sources, Dixon is of Irish descent and grew up in North Carolina. He reportedly studied theater at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.
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How did Derek Meet Tyler Perry?
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Dixon claims he first met Tyler Perry in 2019 while working at the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. The two allegedly exchanged numbers, and not long after, Perry cast him in the BET+ series Ruthless. The show premiered in March 2020 and has since continued its run, with season six debuting in January 2025.
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Much Like Perry, Derek Has A Background in Theater and Playwriting
Image Credit: instagram/derek__dixon Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Dixon honed his craft at The Terry Schreiber Studio in New York. Dixon has also appeared in stage productions such as The Lion in Winter, Romeo and Juliet, and The Boys in the Band. Over the past five years, he’s penned several full-length plays including Homewrecker, Red Snow, Pictures of People, Work of Art, and Green Light. In 2015, he joined Working Title Playwrights, where he workshopped the play slated to premiere this summer.
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Played “Dale” In Tyler Perry’s ‘The Oval’ For 85 Episodes
Image Credit: Instagrm/Derek__Dixon Dixon starred in 85 episodes of Tyler Perry‘s The Oval. He also alleged that Perry sexually assaulted him in January 2020 and shortly afterward offered him a recurring role on The Oval, the long-running BET drama set within the walls of a fictional White House.
Dixon claims that the trajectory of his character, Dale, was directly tied to how he responded to Perry’s alleged advances. According to the complaint, Perry made it clear that if Dixon ignored or refused to engage with his sexual innuendos, his character would be written off. The filing notes that Dale was ultimately shot four times in the chest at the end of Dixon’s first season — an act the actor says Perry used as leverage, insinuating the character’s survival depended on keeping him “happy.”
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Wrote His Own TV Series Titled ‘Losing It’
Image Credit: Instagram/Derek__Dixon According to IMDB, Dixon wrote his own TV series titled Losing It, which he claimed in his lawsuit that Tyler Perry agreed to produce. The actor claims that an assault took place in June 2021 during a meeting at Perry’s home to discuss the show’s pilot, which Perry allegedly had shown interest in.
Following the alleged incident, Dixon says his mental and physical health deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of PTSD. He also asserted that representatives for Perry — referred to in the suit as “fixers” — offered him a raise and a production deal in exchange for his silence and continued participation in The Oval.
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