Derek Dixon reiterated allegations of sexual harassment and assault against filmmaker Tyler Perry in his first television interview since filing a $260 million lawsuit, telling ABC News Live he will no longer "stay silent" about the incidents.
The actor said the conduct began with advances by text and in person and escalated during a stay at Perry’s guest home, where he alleged Perry climbed into bed with him, rubbed his leg and later pulled down his underwear and grabbed his butt despite Dixon asking him to stop. "I jumped up out of bed and he said, 'Turn around so I can look at you,'" Dixon told Linsey Davis. "I didn't know what to do."
Dixon, who appeared on the BET series The Oval and said his character Dale was killed off after he resisted Perry's advances, said he initially tried to "de-escalate" and "distract" but eventually filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January. He sued Perry in June, seeking $260 million for sexual harassment, sexual assault and retaliation; Dixon told ABC he is seeking accountability and a deterrent rather than money alone. "Part of that number is my lost job, lost income, loss of the show," he said. "The other part of that is a deterrent. How do you stop a billionaire who won't stop themselves from doing this?"
Perry's legal team has denied the allegations and accused Dixon of attempting to extort the media mogul, saying he demanded more than $40 million to keep quiet. In a statement to ABC News and other outlets, Perry's attorney called the case a "scam" and said, "Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Perry's representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dixon's interview.
Dixon said he has struggled with shame and vulnerability in coming forward and that he did not intend to be labeled an extortionist. "It's OK that people try to make a move or shoot their shot but if they get rejected, I think that they should stop," he said. He denied trying to extort Perry and said his aim is to prevent similar conduct by seeking accountability.
The allegations and the lawsuit have drawn attention to workplace dynamics on Perry's productions and to how allegations are handled when they involve prominent figures. Legal experts have noted that Dixon's EEOC complaint is often a precursor to civil litigation and that both sides will present evidence and witnesses as part of the court process.
A photo of Perry circulated by news outlets shows the filmmaker in public appearances; his attorney's denial frames the dispute as an attempted financial scheme rather than an employment or criminal matter. Dixon concluded the ABC interview by addressing Perry directly, teary-eyed: "Never use someone's dream to coerce them into a relationship. That's not professional."
The litigation remains active. Dixon has filed the federal lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages; Perry's team has announced plans to contest the claims. Further developments will depend on motions, discovery and potential rulings by the courts or outcomes of administrative processes tied to the EEOC complaint.