Derek Dixon Opens Up About Tyler Perry Lawsuit and Harassment Claims
Derek Dixon’s life changed the day he filed that lawsuit. It’s one thing to be a working actor, hustling from role to role. It’s another thing to take your boss — one of the most powerful names in Hollywood — to court for sexual harassment. Now Derek’s telling his side for the first time. And he’s not holding back.
When people think about Tyler Perry, they think Madea. Big comedies. Huge studio in Atlanta. Jobs for so many actors, writers and crew who might never get a shot otherwise. Derek knew all that. And that’s what makes his story sting more. He says the same man who gave him his break crossed lines that should never be crossed.
How Did Derek Meet Tyler Perry?
Derek’s dream was never fame for the sake of it. He grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. High school theater hooked him. He studied acting in New York. When that didn’t pay the bills, he waited tables, bartended, found gigs on stage in Atlanta. Always hoping for a real break.
In 2019, that break walked right up to him. Derek was working an event for Legendary Events. It was for the opening of Tyler Perry Studios. That alone was massive. A Black mogul owning the biggest film studio in the South — that inspired a lot of people like Derek.
At the party, Perry spotted him. Asked him to stand on stage to check lighting. Then asked, “Are you an actor?” Derek said, “Sort of.” Perry looked him in the eye and said, “Yes you are.” They swapped numbers. By the next day, Perry was texting. “Who are you? What’s your dream?”
For an actor, that’s the golden question.
How Did Things Start To Cross The Line?
It didn’t take long for Perry to offer Derek a shot. He wanted him to read for a part in Ruthless, a spinoff of The Oval. Derek got the role of Dale. It was small but could grow. And it did. Suddenly, Derek was on 85 episodes of a major BET series.
Back then, Derek says he didn’t know much about Perry’s personal life. Perry had announced in late 2020 that he’d split from Gelila Bekele, his longtime partner. They share a son. Derek, who is openly gay, says he never thought of Perry’s sexual orientation. It wasn’t his business. He didn’t care. But he did care when, he says, work talk started to blur into something else.
One night in early 2020, Perry invited Derek to his Georgia home. They had drinks. Perry told him he was too drunk to drive. Stay in the guest house, he said. So Derek did. He says he woke up to find Perry climbing into bed, rubbing his thigh. Derek says he jumped up. Told him, “I’m not that sexual.” He thought that was the end of it.
Why Did Derek Stay Quiet For So Long?
After that, Derek says, the calls and texts didn’t stop. Sometimes it was about scripts. Sometimes it was just “send pics” or “What are you doing?” Derek didn’t want to pick a fight with the man who signed the checks. When he didn’t text back fast, he says Perry got annoyed.
Derek convinced himself it was the industry. You bend. You smile. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. He says he ignored the weird texts. The comments about his body. The questions about his sex life. He wanted to act. He wanted to write. He didn’t want to make noise.
Then Perry offered him more. The role of Dale expanded. He read a script that showed Dale getting shot four times. He asked Perry if that meant he was dead. Perry told him if he did a good job, he’d survive. That’s power. Derek says he knew if he upset Perry, Dale could vanish in a rewrite.
What Did Derek Say Happened Next?
The text messages included in his lawsuit paint an ugly picture. Perry telling him he deserved attention “all the time.” Comments about wanting to “make love” to him. Jokes about choking. Questions about how Derek walked. It crossed the line. Again and again.
One day on set, Perry asked him to come to his trailer for a drink. Derek says you can’t say no when the boss calls. They drank margaritas. Perry asked if he found him attractive. Derek says he kept dodging. When they hugged goodbye, he says Perry pinned him to the wall, grabbed him. Derek thought, maybe that’s it. Maybe it’ll stop.
It didn’t.
In June 2021, Perry called him over to talk about Derek’s pilot, Losing It. Derek was thrilled. A chance to get his own show made? That’s a dream. But he says it turned into a nightmare. They drank. Perry told him to stay over. Goodnight hug turned into Perry yanking down Derek’s underwear. Derek says he said no. Tried to pull away. Perry wouldn’t stop — until Derek came up with an excuse. He said he was hungry. Perry went to get pizza. Derek locked himself in the bathroom.
He says that night changed him. He felt trapped. Quit the show? He’d lose everything. Stay? He felt sick. He told a coworker. They reminded him what he’d lose. So he kept going.
Why Did Derek Finally File The Lawsuit?
The dam broke for Derek when he realized staying quiet wouldn’t protect him. He saw Christian Keyes, another actor, hint at a similar story on Instagram. Derek filed a complaint with the EEOC. Quit The Oval with a season left that would have paid him big. He knew the backlash would come. It did. Threats online. Harassment. But also messages from strangers saying “Me too.”
Perry’s lawyer says it’s all a scam. That Derek is lying to shake him down. Perry himself hasn’t said much. But Derek stands by every word. He says he wants young actors to know they don’t have to trade silence for a paycheck. “Everyone deserves to work without their boss trying to have sex with them,” he says.
He says people think actors aren’t regular employees. That if you’re on TV, you signed up for anything. He wants people to know that’s not true. A set is a workplace. And bosses don’t get to cross lines just because they hold the scripts in their hands.
In his mind, the money, the fame, the studio gates don’t excuse what he says happened. He says he’s not looking for hush money. He wants the truth out. And if his story makes one young actor think twice about staying silent? He says that’s worth the risk.
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