Tyler Perry is pushing back hard against sexual assault allegations made by actor Derek Dixon, calling the claims “false” and motivated by greed, according to court documents obtained by People magazine.
On Oct. 1, Perry’s legal team reportedly filed paperwork with the U.S. District Court’s Central Division of California, alleging that Dixon’s sexual assault lawsuit against the filmmaker is “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and—most of all—false.”
The filing marks the latest development in a case that’s stirred controversy since Dixon first accused the 56-year-old media mogul of quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, and retaliation back in June. The actor, who appeared in Perry’s shows ‘The Oval” and “Ruthless,” is seeking $260 million in damages from the filmmaker and Tyler Perry Studios. He alleged Perry created “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while they worked together.
However, Perry’s legal team denies those claims in its most recent filings, arguing that Dixon’s lawsuit leans “on Hollywood stereotypes and the bad acts of others,” adding, “Dixon distorts and tries to turn sinister Mr. Perry’s acts of platonic friendship and professional mentorship.”
“Dixon invents alleged assaults and encounters that never happened,” the filing states.
“Mr. Perry never assaulted Dixon or committed any sexual battery. He did not offer Dixon pay raises and shoot Dixon’s television pilot script to threaten, coerce, or control Dixon,”
Also alleging that “in his...
Tyler Perry is pushing back hard against sexual assault allegations made by actor Derek Dixon. Full story below… According to new court filings obtained by PEOPLE, Perry’s legal team alleges that D...