Derek Dixon is speaking out for the first time about his $260 million lawsuit against Tyler Perry, saying he went public about the sexual assault allegations because “I couldn’t just let him get away with this.”
Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty
Although the Ruthless actor called the ordeal “terrifying,” he claims the June filing was about defending other creatives from having to “choose between their dreams and their dignity.” He explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them.” In the first interview since coming forward, Dixon discussed the alleged harassment that he claimed escalated to a sexual assault that he reportedly thought would end in rape.
Many comments latched onto speculation about Perry’s sexuality, which Dixon shut down. While the openly gay actor’s lawsuit noted that he “did not know that Perry was interested in men or that he was looking for a sexual relationship,” Dixon emphasized that the real issues are the alleged sexual harassment and assault.
“I’m not going to speak for him on how he identifies sexually,” he said about Perry, who broke up with Gelila Bekele, the mother of their 10-year-old son, in late 2020. “Regardless of his sexual orientation or gender, he should not be speaking to any of his employees whether they be men or women, gay, straight or bisexual about their sexual preferences, how often they’re having sex and physically assaulting them.”
As BOSSIP previously reported, days after the June 13 suit was filed, Perry’s legal team denied all the allegations as a “scam.” In a statement from attorney Matthew Boyd, he called Dixon an “individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam.” He continued, “Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Read how Derek Dixon claims a chance meeting with Tyler Perry allegedly escalated to harassment and assault after the flip.
