Actor Derek Dixon reiterated sexual assault and harassment allegations against filmmaker and media executive Tyler Perry in his first televised interview since filing a $260 million lawsuit in June.
Dixon, who plays Dale on Perry’s BET series The Oval, spoke with ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis on Tuesday and described a series of encounters he says escalated from unwelcome advances to physical contact while he was working with Perry. He said he had filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January after his character was written off the show.
In the interview, Dixon reiterated claims that Perry sent suggestive text messages and made physical advances when Dixon stayed in the producer’s guest home. "I got into bed, and I noticed he climbed into bed with me as well and started rubbing my leg," Dixon told Davis. "I jumped up out of bed and he said, 'Turn around so I can look at you.'"
Dixon described other incidents he says occurred after he rejected those advances. He said Perry "pulled [his] underwear down" and "grabbed" his butt despite Dixon asking him to stop. He said he tried repeatedly to de-escalate encounters and to create distance, and that the experience left him feeling shame and unsure of how to respond. "Unless someone has been through something having the control of their body taken away, you don’t understand the feelings that you have in that moment," Dixon said.
Dixon denied allegations by Perry’s legal team that he was attempting to extort the filmmaker. He said a portion of the monetary damages sought in the lawsuit represents lost income and the termination of his role on The Oval, and the remainder is intended as a deterrent against future conduct. "I’m looking for accountability, something to deter him from doing this to someone else," Dixon said. "How do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this?"
Perry’s attorney has called the claims a "scam," saying in previous statements that the filmmaker "will not be shaken down" and that the allegations are fabricated. A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to a request for comment filed with Page Six.
Dixon said he initially filed an internal complaint and then pursued an EEOC complaint after his character was killed off of the series, which he described in the lawsuit as retaliation and a demonstration of Perry’s power. He acknowledged the difficulty of speaking publicly about the matter. "It’s been hard to tell my truth," he said. "I carry a lot of shame, but I don’t want to stay silent about it anymore."
He closed the interview with an emotional appeal to Perry, saying, "Never use someone’s dream to coerce them into a relationship. That’s not professional."
The civil lawsuit remains pending. Neither party has presented court findings related to the specific allegations described in the interview.