October 20, 2025
Perry’s staff factors out a number of points with Dixon’s lawsuit
Tyler Perry is talking out towards allegations of sexual assault and harassment from a former male worker, issuing a pointy authorized response accusing the person of spreading false claims and saying he “wants assist.”
In an Oct. 1 submitting with the U.S. District Courtroom for the Central Division of California, Perry’s authorized staff referred to as the $260 million lawsuit filed by Derek Dixon “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and—most of all—false,” Individuals reported. Dixon’s claims of sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation allegedly twist “acts of platonic friendship {and professional} mentorship” into one thing “sinister,” Perry’s attorneys wrote, arguing that the swimsuit depends on “Hollywood stereotypes and the dangerous acts of others.”
“Dixon invents alleged assaults and encounters that by no means occurred,” Perry’s submitting states.
“Mr. Perry by no means assaulted Dixon or dedicated any sexual battery. He didn’t supply Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s tv pilot script to threaten, coerce, or management Dixon,” the submitting provides.
Perry’s submitting is available in response to Dixon’s bombshell $260 million lawsuit towards him and Tyler Perry Studios, which alleges Perry tried to sexually exploit their skilled relationship whereas Dixon appeared on The Oval and Ruthless. Perry maintains that he’s the actual sufferer, accusing the previous worker of trying to leverage his generosity for a large payday.
“And it’s notable that in his effort to take advantage of his friendship {and professional} relationship with Mr. Perry to acquire a $260 million payday, Dixon was pressured to lie not solely about Mr. Perry, however himself too,” Perry’s submitting states.
It goes on to name out “Dixon’s greed and avarice” as the difficulty and “not Mr. Perry’s alleged and nonexistent harassment or abuse.”
The Why Did I Get Married star and filmmaker reportedly “seems ahead to refuting every false accusation in courtroom.”
“By his actions and false accusations, it’s clear that Dixon wants assist. However he can not discover it on this Courtroom,” the submitting claims. “Though Dixon alleges that he was the sufferer of escalating sexual misconduct, he had no drawback taking a job on Season 2 of Mr. Perry’s tv collection The Oval.”
Perry’s staff factors out a number of points with Dixon’s lawsuit, together with that it was filed within the flawed state — Georgia, the place the productions have been filmed, would have been the right venue. Perry additionally argues that Dixon’s claims aren’t actually about his actions, however quite stem from Perry’s incapability to promote Dixon’s TV pilot to Netflix. In addition they query why Dixon continued working with him if the alleged assault and harassment had really occurred.
Nonetheless, Dixon is standing by his claims. His authorized staff responded to Perry’s submitting, pointing to alleged textual content messages in which Perry supposedly made sexually suggestive remarks to Dixon on a number of events.
“Perry’s submitting supplies no proof to corroborate that the textual content messages in our criticism are fabricated,” Dixon’s lawyer, Jonathan J. Delshad, mentioned in an announcement. “Our criticism contains textual content messages the place Mr. Perry made express sexual remarks to Mr. Dixon, questioned him about his intercourse life, and dangled skilled alternatives based mostly on these interactions.”
“No employer has the appropriate to control or threaten an worker’s livelihood based mostly on sexual expectations,” Delshad mentioned. “We’re sure that we will show to a jury that sexual harassment, assault, and battery completely occurred.”
“I’m satisfied that Mr. Dixon will not be the one one and that quickly others shall be sharing tales about Mr. Perry,” Delshad continued. “My consumer will not be intimidated by wealth, affect or the superstar standing of Mr. Perry. No one is above the legislation. We’re dedicated to holding Mr. Perry accountable to the total extent of the legislation.”
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