Tyler Perry sued by actor on ‘The Oval' for sexual assault and harassment

Tyler Perry sued by Derek Dixon for sexual assault and harassment | AP News

An actor who worked on “The Oval” has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his industry power to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him.

apnews.com

TL;DR: Actor Derek Dixon—who’s appeared in 85 episodes of Tyler Perry’s BET drama The Oval—has filed a $260 million lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Perry of using his industry clout to promise career opportunities in exchange for tolerating escalating sexual harassment, assault and professional retaliation. Dixon alleges Perry sent explicit texts (“What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?”), threatened to kill off his character if he didn’t comply, and on multiple occasions forcibly groped him.

Perry’s attorney calls the claims “completely fabricated” and vows to fight what they describe as a “shakedown.” The suit, first reported by TMZ, lays out screenshots of the alleged messages and details Dixon’s attempts to set boundaries while keeping his role—and hopes for a pilot deal—alive.