Tyler Perry's accuser breaks silence weeks after $250M sexual assault suit: ‘I couldn't stay silent anymore'
'I couldn't just let him get away with this,' Dixon told The Hollywood Reporter. 'Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them.'
'My goal is to help ensure that the next generation of actors and creatives don't have to choose between their dreams and their dignity.'
5 Actor Derek Dixon has broken his silence after accusing Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry of sexual assault and harassment.
Instagram/derek_dixon
Dixon claimed he was 'too afraid to come forward' over fears of negative attention saying, 'This is why people, especially men, don't come forward.'
'I knew it would be awful. And I was right,' he added.
The actor was then asked if he had tried settling the dispute with Perry in private.
'There are always attempts to resolve situations like this privately, but they never result in the type of change necessary to protect further victims,' he told the outlet. 'At the end of the day my absolute fear is that he will be able to continue doing this without any major consequences.'
5 Perry was slapped with a bombshell $250 million lawsuit last month.
@tylerperry/Instagram
Dixon claimed that for a long time, he tried to bury his alleged experience, telling himself it 'was part of the industry, or that I had to accept it to keep working.'
'But eventually, I couldn't stay silent anymore,' he added.
In court documents obtained by The Post last month, Dixon sued Perry, 55, for alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment in a complaint filed with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles.
The actor claimed Perry 'took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic' between them when he worked on the set of 'The Oval' and 'Ruthless.'
5 'I couldn't just let him get away with this,' the 'Oval' actor said of the Hollywood filmmaker.
Instagram/derek_dixon
The 'Madea Goes to Jail' star quickly denied the allegations.
'This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,' Perry's attorney Matthew Boyd told The Post last month. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.'
In his filing, Dixon claimed that he was almost raped by Perry while once again visiting the entertainment mogul's Georgia home in June 2021.
He alleged that Perry pulled down his underwear and groped his butt after asking for a 'good night' hug.
5 In court documents obtained by The Post last month, Perry, 55, was sued for alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment in a complaint filed with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles.
Getty Images
'Rather than arguing, Dixon complied, at which point Perry reached out and yanked Dixon's underwear down from behind,' the lawsuit read. 'Perry then began to vigorously grab, grope, and play with Dixon's buttocks in a sexual manner. Dixon was naked, stunned and seized by tremendous fear.'
'Dixon started to tell Perry that he 'did not want [his] underwear down,' that Dixon 'didn't want to be naked,' and that Dixon 'didn't want this,'' the suit alleged.
'Dixon quickly reached to pull his underwear back up. As soon as he did, Perry grabbed Dixon's reaching arm with a tight grip and held fast.'
According to the court documents, Dixon was able to distract Perry and change the subject before the alleged incident went any further.
Besides his many accusations against Perry, Dixon also included several years' worth of alleged text message exchanges between the pair in his filing.
5 The 'Madea Goes to Jail' star denied the allegations.
Dixon is suing Perry and Tyler Perry Studios for quid pro quo sexual harassment, work environment harassment, sexual harassment, workplace gender violence, sexual battery, sexual assault, retaliation, and more.
He is also seeking $260 million in damages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
'Freakier Friday' switchable popcorn buckets, drink cups releasing. See where.
Some "Freakier Friday" fans can get their hands on swappable merchandise when the movie hits theaters next month. Marcus Theatres, a chain of cinemas with locations in 17 states, announced that it will be selling collectible popcorn buckets and drink cups with swappable covers. The collectibles, which are also branded with "Freakier Friday" logos and designs, include a popcorn bucket that can be used for soda or a soda cup that can be used for popcorn. The items coincide with the upcoming release of "Freakier Friday" starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis on Aug. 8. The movie is a sequel to the 2003 film "Freaky Friday." "Your snacks just had a body swap," Marcus Theatres said in an Instagram post on July 11. Here is what to know. How to get 'Freakier Friday' swappable popcorn bucket The "Freakier Friday" popcorn buckets will be available online at Marcus Theatres' website starting Thursday, July 17, said Jenni Tetzlaff, a company spokesperson. Some theaters, which will be holding "Fan First Screening" events on Aug. 6, will have the buckets available that day. A list of sites holding early screenings is available on the company's website. The rest of Marcus Theatres' locations, except the Campus Cinema in Ripon, Wisconsin, will have the items for sale starting Aug. 8, Tetzlaff said. A list of showtimes and locations is available on Marcus Theatres' website. How much is the 'Freakier Friday' popcorn bucket? The "Freakier Friday" popcorn bucket at Marcus Theatres is $22 plus tax. The cup is $20 before tax, Tetzlaff said. Internet approves of 'Freakier Friday' popcorn bucket Social media users were quick to react to the swappable buckets, with many sharing their approval. "Idk who came up w this but give them a raise fr this is so cool," one user wrote on X. Another individual wrote, "This screams '90s throwback energy' - I'm so here for it!" Others pointed out the possibility of confusion with the items. "All fun and games until you stick your hand in a tub of soda," one user said. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
Los Angeles Times
26 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Neighborhood Kids' viral rage rap anthem during ICE raids turned them into Tom Morello's ‘new favorite band'
In times of turmoil, music can clarify a moment and a feeling, or at least briefly cut through the noise. And as California has been under siege by newly aggressive federal immigration enforcement by masked agents, a biting hip-hop track called 'Kids in Cages' by the Neighborhood Kids has gone viral, reflecting on this drama from the perspective of those being hunted. In a video clip shared widely on Instagram these last few weeks, a young couple of Latino rappers from San Diego — named Amon the MC and Verde — face the camera to recite a confrontational rhyme from an urban pedestrian bridge made of concrete and chain-link fence: 'We are the hard workers ... We are the ones that'll work in constructionAnd we are the ones that'll fix your destructionAnd we are the ones that pick fruit on your tableAnd we are the ones that been given a labelAnd we are the ones that you're blamingFor taking your jobs, whatcha pay me?We are the ones working minimum wagesAnd we are the ones with our kids in the cages.' The track was originally self-released by the Neighborhood Kids in 2023, but found renewed resonance as Americans in Los Angeles and across the country watched alarming video of day laborers, construction workers and restaurant employees being swept up in raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. It caught the attention of several established musicians, including Cat Power and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, who shared the clip with their devoted social media followings. The song first emerged from a freestyle rhyme during a band rehearsal, then was recorded with rapid-fire vocals from the two rappers, a beat created by turntablist DJ JG, and blasts of swirling electric guitar from Niko Rosy. It first appeared on their 2023 EP, 'Every Child Left Behind.' The song's title, 'Kids in Cages,' was taken from the first Trump administration's notorious policy that separated immigrant children from their parents and warehoused them in makeshift chain-link holding cells. 'People think that it started just now,' says Verde, who appears in the video clip in a T-shirt emblazoned with an Aztec god, her hair twisted into braids. 'This has been years of this, and we just feel this rage. And it's OK to feel upset.' The song's focus on working-class immigrants was the point, reflecting their core mission of testifying for those without a voice. 'Some people are like, 'Oh, but we're also doctors and lawyers' and all these things, but these are the people that are getting snatched up,' says Amon. 'These are the people that don't get the light of day, the unsung heroes that really make this nation work, make this nation what it is. And that's why we had to really shout them out and let the people know.' Amon says the track has deeply connected now because 'there's a collective outrage, not just with what's going on with the mass deportation and raids with ICE, but it's the dehumanizing [aspect] of it and, and the separation of families. 'People think it's just happening to the Latino and the Mexican communities. But people forget about the Filipino, the Taiwanese, the Vietnamese, and the Haitians here. There's so many communities that are affected by it.' When Morello quickly organized a last-minute concert called Defend L.A. at the Echoplex for June 16, both as an act of protest and a fundraiser for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, he called on several like-minded artists, including B-Real of Cypress Hill and Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova. He also connected with the Neighborhood Kids through a mutual friend, the singer-songwriter Grandson. A few weeks earlier, Morello had never heard of the Neighborhood Kids, but was immediately hooked by 'Kids in Cages.' 'It's delivered with such conviction and authenticity. I just thought that they were lyrically brilliant and that they were committed to their music being a sledgehammer for social justice,' Morello says. 'Saw them on Instagram and 20 seconds into the first clip, I was like, this is an incredible band that captures the spirit of what the greatest rock 'n' roll and hip-hop and punk rock is all about.' When the call to be part of Defend L.A. came in, the band was scattered. Amon, Verde and DJ JG were playing a gig in Sacramento, where they shot a video clip for their hard-hitting Spanglish-language tune 'Third World Problems' in front of the state Capitol. Rosy was on a trip to Rome without his guitar, and the rest of the band were in San Diego. No one wanted to miss the show with Morello, so Rosy flew directly to L.A., and the group reconvened in a nearby rehearsal studio the day of the performance. The Neighborhood Kids opened the night, after Morello introduced them as 'my new favorite band.' The Neighborhood Kids can operate as either a stripped-down hip-hop trio of the two rappers and turntablist DJ JG, or as a full band, with Rosy on guitar, bassist Emmerson, and drummer Gatoz Locoz. At Echoplex, they landed at full force, backing up the rhymes like an eruption of rage (and Rage). The rappers wore military vests and keffiyeh scarves, and performed 30 minutes of protest songs that collided hip-hop, funk and metal. 'Biddi Bomb' was an antiwar tune that Amon says reflects ongoing tragedies in Gaza, Sudan, Congo and Armenia. 'And the Kids Say' is built on wild DJ scratching, with echoes of Rage Against the Machine in the repeated line, 'I won't do what you tell me…' and references to Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit.' Later in the night, Morello invited them back onstage to freestyle on Woody Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land.' The Neighborhood Kids are a self-sufficient and self-managed young act, though have yet to embark on a national tour. The vocal duo at its core are clearly lovers of hip-hop in the classic mode, and show the influence of Dead Prez and Immortal Technique. So it's fitting that the band will perform at Rhyme Fest at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 17, with a lineup of esteemed hip-hop vets including Xzibit, Dilated Peoples, DJ Quik, the Alchemist and more. 'We're just advocates of pure hip-hop,' says Amon, standing on the back patio of Echoplex just before their Defend L.A. sound check. 'So we do sample-based stuff, but we also have a live band. We're a band collective. This is our team and family, so whether we make music with them or without them, they figure out a way to be a part of it.' Amon and Verde are also a rare romantic couple fronting a rap group, and say their relationship adds more fuel to their work. 'It's beautiful being that there's high tones and then low,' says Verde of their overlapping voices. 'It's beautiful creating with someone that you love. Every song is like a baby almost. It's like nothing else.' These last few weeks of ICE activity and protest has already inspired new songs. Asked about their goals as a group, Amon says nothing of awards and chart action, and talks of reinvesting any rewards back into their community in San Diego. He says the desire is to help create more grassroots voices like their own. 'Eventually, we would love to have a nonprofit school of arts and music,' says Amon. 'We have a turntablist as DJ, and we'd like him to teach kids how to keep the art of DJing alive. We'd like to teach spoken word and songwriting and other instruments, and keep the creativity flowing. 'And apart from that, we just want to take our message across the whole world.' While the high-profile Defend L.A. show was meaningful confirmation that the Neighborhood Kids' message is reaching farther out into the world, they've learned to appreciate all crowds, big or small. 'Even if it's just one person, I learned that it doesn't matter who's watching you,' says Verde. 'Whether it be a whole crowd or just a couple people, they could change the world too, you know?'
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Game of Thrones' Actress Shows Off Legs in Short Mini Dress with Thigh-High Slit
'Game of Thrones' Actress Shows Off Legs in Short Mini Dress with Thigh-High Slit originally appeared on Parade. is flaunting what she's got. The 29-year-old actress stepped out for an event in London this week, where she put on a leggy display in a short mini dress with a slit reaching all the way up to her thigh. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 In photos from the event on Tuesday, July 15, the Game of Thrones alum could be seen sporting an all-white outfit, consisting of a crisp linen shirt dress. The garment, which tied together at Turner's waist, left room for her legs to peek out through the slit in the fabric. The Joan star further accentuated the leggy look by adding a pair of white open-toed high heels. The striking new photos were taken as part of an event held in partnership with St-Germain, a brand of French elderflower liqueur. Turner, an ambassador for the brand, is the face of this year's "Sip Into Something Fresher" campaign promoting the St-Germain Hugo Spritz, which she happened to be sipping on in the new photos. Back in May, Turner shared Instagram photos from another St-Germain event, along with the caption: "Life lately: making memories, one St-Germain Hugo Spritz at a time ✨." "Hugo spritz summer 😍😍😍," one of her fans declared at the time.'Game of Thrones' Actress Shows Off Legs in Short Mini Dress with Thigh-High Slit first appeared on Parade on Jul 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
