Latest news with #TylerPerry-created
Sydney Morning Herald
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Actor accuses Tyler Perry of sexual assault in $400 million lawsuit
Los Angeles: An actor who worked on the Tyler Perry-created TV drama The Oval has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his industry power to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him while keeping him quiet. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by actor Derek Dixon, who appeared on 85 episodes of the BET series, seeks at least $US260 million ($400 million) in damages. 'Mr Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,' the lawsuit says. The Oval is one of many television series executive produced by, written by and directed by the 55-year-old billionaire entertainment mogul, who first became known as creator and star of the Madea films and has since built a major TV and movie production empire. As an actor he has appeared in the films Gone Girl and Don't Look Up. Perry is also a close friend of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, and is the godfather of their daughter Lilibet. He lent the couple one of his homes and supported them as they moved from the UK to the US in 2020 and appeared in their 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan. The lawsuit was filed on Friday and first reported Tuesday by TMZ. Perry's lawyer, Matthew Boyd, said its allegations were false. 'This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,' Boyd said in a statement on Tuesday. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.'
The Age
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Actor accuses Tyler Perry of sexual assault in $400 million lawsuit
Los Angeles: An actor who worked on the Tyler Perry-created TV drama The Oval has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his industry power to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him while keeping him quiet. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by actor Derek Dixon, who appeared on 85 episodes of the BET series, seeks at least $US260 million ($400 million) in damages. 'Mr Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,' the lawsuit says. The Oval is one of many television series executive produced by, written by and directed by the 55-year-old billionaire entertainment mogul, who first became known as creator and star of the Madea films and has since built a major TV and movie production empire. As an actor he has appeared in the films Gone Girl and Don't Look Up. Perry is also a close friend of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, and is the godfather of their daughter Lilibet. He lent the couple one of his homes and supported them as they moved from the UK to the US in 2020 and appeared in their 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan. The lawsuit was filed on Friday and first reported Tuesday by TMZ. Perry's lawyer, Matthew Boyd, said its allegations were false. 'This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,' Boyd said in a statement on Tuesday. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.'
