Actor Derek Dixon, known for his role as Dale in The Oval and Ruthless, has revealed why he is suing filmmaker Tyler Perry for $260 million in damages. Speaking in his first television interview with ABC News on September 9, Dixon said the lawsuit amount reflects both his lost income and an effort to deter what he describes as misconduct. “Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show. The other part of that is a deterrent for how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this,” he stated. Dixon claims he first met Perry in 2019, years before his roles in Perry’s TV projects.
Perry’s legal team has firmly denied the allegations. Attorney Matthew Boyd, representing Perry and TPS Production Services, described the lawsuit as baseless, calling it an attempted “scam.” In a statement, Boyd 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.” Despite this, Dixon has stood by his claims, saying the process has been difficult and emotionally taxing. “It’s been hard. It’s a vulnerable thing to talk about. There’s a lot of shame around it,” he admitted.
In earlier remarks to The Hollywood Reporter, Dixon described the decision to sue as “terrifying” but necessary. He emphasized that his goal is to create a safer environment for future actors and creatives. “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them,” he said. Dixon insists the lawsuit is about protecting dignity in the workplace and ensuring others in the entertainment industry do not face similar choices between their careers and their self-respect. The lawsuit, which seeks a jury trial, remains ongoing.