Tyler Perry's Lawyer Calls Actor Derek Dixon's Sexual Assault Lawsuit a 'Scam': 'Tyler Will Not Be Shaken Down'

Tyler Perry’s lawyer is calling retired accuser Derek Dixon for filing a $260 cardinal suit against Perry.

In June, Dixon accused Perry of quid pro quo intersexual harassment, intersexual battery, intersexual assault, intentional infliction of affectional distress, retaliation, and more, according to tribunal documents antecedently obtained by PEOPLE. 

Dixon alleged that Perry, 55, created "a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic" betwixt them while he was starring connected nan filmmaker's shows The Oval and Ruthless.

The title besides accused Perry of "initially promising him profession advancement and imaginative opportunities, specified arsenic producing his aviator and casting him successful his show, only to taxable him to escalating intersexual harassment, battle and battery, and master retaliation erstwhile Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry's unwanted advances."

During his first televised question and reply since filing nan lawsuit, Dixon told ABC News connected Tuesday, Sept. 9, he arrived astatine nan magnitude of $260 cardinal successful damages because he mislaid his job, income and nan show. “The different portion of that is simply a deterrent for really do you extremity a billionaire who won't extremity themselves from doing this,” he added.

Matthew Boyd, an lawyer for Perry, denied nan allegations successful a connection to PEOPLE, saying, "This is an individual who sewage adjacent to Tyler Perry for what now appears to beryllium thing much than mounting up a scam."

He continued, "Tyler will not beryllium shaken down and we are assured these fabricated claims of harassment will fail."

During his sit-down pinch ABC News, Dixon said he hopes Perry will return "accountability for what happened," and that nan filing taught Perry to "not dainty your labor this measurement and to ne'er usage someone's dream to coerce them into a narration that's not professional."

Dixon said justness for him would beryllium if “something for illustration this won't hap to different character that useful for him aliases different character successful nan industry.”

Dixon first claimed he and Perry met successful September 2019 successful Atlanta.

Dixon alleged successful nan title that, complete nan adjacent fewer months, Perry often texted him, sometimes pinch suggestive advances, but besides that he wanted to find Dixon a occupation and alteration his life. 

Dixon claimed that successful November 2019, Perry offered him a mini domiciled connected Ruthless, and allegedly sexually assaulted him astatine Perry's location successful January 2020. The adjacent month, Perry offered Dixon a bid regular domiciled on The Oval, according to nan complaint.

In nan filing, Dixon past recounted a infinitesimal aft filming The Oval, erstwhile Perry invited him to his trailer. Perry allegedly pinned Dixon to nan wall and began "aggressively groping Dixon's hips successful a intersexual motion."

Dixon claimed that he was likewise groped during a formed travel to nan Bahamas successful October 2020.

Dixon alleged that successful December 2020, he visited a expert "who indicated that Dixon's exhibited terrible symptoms of acute stress, insomnia, tummy issues, and dangerously debased cortisol levels owed to nan intersexual harassment and assault" and prescribed him Zoloft, an antidepressant.

Perry allegedly invited Dixon to his location again successful June 2021 to talk Dixon's aviator for his show Losing It, wherever Perry allegedly sexually assaulted Dixon, per nan complaint.

Years later, successful January 2023, Dixon informed Perry that he was moving to California to "put immoderate distance" betwixt them.

Dixon continued to prima connected The Oval, but near during nan show's last season, a move he claimed resulted successful him losing retired connected adjacent to $400,000.

If you aliases personification you cognize has been sexually assaulted, please interaction nan National Sexual Assault Hotline astatine 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) aliases spell to rainn.org.