*In a gripping ABC News interview, actor Derek Dixon shared disturbing allegations of sexual harassment against entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, detailing incidents that led to his $260 million lawsuit filed in June.
Speaking with Linsey Davis, Dixon recounted an unsettling moment when Perry allegedly jumped into bed with him while he stayed in Perry’s guest room. “I wanted to speak out and not stay silent about it anymore,” Dixon said, explaining his decision to go public with the claims, per TheWrap.
Dixon, a former series regular on Perry’s BET show “The Oval,” claimed his character’s death in the season 2 finale was retaliation for rejecting Perry’s advances. “For me, that was his way of showing his power over us and our careers, and that he doesn’t have a problem with just killing one of us off,” he told Davis. The actor described a pattern of pressure, including an incident where Perry allegedly urged him to undress, followed by an apology and a promise to produce Dixon’s television pilot. Perry now holds the rights to that proposed show, according to Dixon.
The lawsuit also references persistent calls and texts from Perry, which Dixon said left him in “just this constant state of like, if I don’t answer, I will lose my job. I’ll be fired or killed off… it took a huge toll on my anxiety and depression.”
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When asked about the $260 million sum, Dixon explained, “that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of the show. The other part of that is a deterrent for, you know, how do you stop a billionaire who won’t stop themselves from doing this?”
Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, has firmly denied the allegations, calling them a “scam.”
“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,” Boyd said.
Dixon admitted to sending a letter demanding $40 million, stating, “I think I was looking for accountability on to what he did. I think what he did was wrong, and it needed to be something that would deter him from doing this to somebody else, another actor.”
Reflecting on what he would say to Perry directly, Dixon expressed a hope for change: “I would say, I hope that you take accountability for what happened, and I hope that this has taught you not to treat your employees this way and to never use someone’s dream to coerce them into a relationship that’s not professional.”
The allegations have sparked intense discussion, with Dixon’s lawsuit poised to challenge Perry’s influence in the industry.
Watch the interview below.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Actor Derek Dixon Alleges Tyler Perry Groped Him, Entered Bed Without Consent
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