Derek Dixon accused Tyler Perry of constructing a number of undesirable advances and retaliation tied to his position on “The Oval.”

The man accusing Tyler Perry of attempting to power him right into a sexual relationship after which 86’ing his character on a well-liked TV collection made extra disturbing allegations of sexual assault and harassment throughout an interview with ABC News, tied to a $260 million lawsuit filed earlier this yr.

Derek Dixon, who beforehand appeared on Perry’s BET drama The Oval, claimed the media mogul crossed physical boundaries on multiple occasions, including one night in Atlanta where Perry allegedly pulled down his underwear and groped him.

“We were both walking back to the guest area, where I’d stayed before, and there’s this health monitor scale on the way,” Dixon instructed ABC’s Linsey Davis. “I was like, ‘What is that?’ And he said, ‘Well you have to be in your underwear to measure.’ … He reached down and pulled my underwear down and grabbed my ass. I attempted to stop him and pull my underwear back up. He grabbed my arms and said, ‘No, no, no, it’s okay. Just go with it.’ I responded, ‘Stop, I don’t want to be naked. I don’t want this.’ He assured me, ‘I’m not going to hurt you.’”

Dixon mentioned he locked himself in a toilet till Perry left.

He additionally described one other encounter the place Perry allegedly climbed into mattress with him and commenced rubbing his leg. Dixon mentioned he jumped out, prompting Perry to touch upon his look earlier than leaving the room.

Beyond the bodily incidents, Dixon mentioned Perry steadily despatched sexually suggestive messages and referred to as him typically, which created a continuing sense of hysteria.

He feared that ignoring Perry’s advances would jeopardize his position on The Oval. Eventually, his character was killed off, which Dixon interpreted as a message concerning the penalties of rejecting Perry.

Dixon mentioned he stopped talking to Perry in spring 2024 and formally exited the present that September.

The lawsuit seeks damages for misplaced earnings and emotional misery, whereas additionally aiming to forestall comparable alleged abuses by influential trade figures.

“Never exploit someone’s aspirations to coerce them into a relationship. That’s unprofessional,” Dixon mentioned within the interview.

Tyler Perry has denied all claims, calling the case an “extortion attempt” and expressing confidence that the lawsuit is not going to succeed.

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