Who Is Tyler Perry’s Accuser: Everything You Need To Know About Derek Dixon

• Derek Dixon, the actor suing Tyler Perry, is best known for playing Dale on The Oval
• Dixon has a theatre background, having performed in productions like Romeo and Juliet and The Boys in the Band, and has written several plays
• Since the lawsuit, Derek Dixon's social media following has grown, with his verified Instagram surpassing 10.1K followers

Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry hogged headlines after actor Derek Dixon sued him over allegations of sexual harassment, assault and retaliation, among other complaints.

Until he filed the lawsuit against Perry on Friday, 13 June 2025, little was known about Derek Dixon. The actor has been popularly known for portraying Dale on The Oval since 2021.

So, who is Tyler Perry’s accuser, Derek Dixon? Here’s everything you need to know about The Oval actor who is suing Tyler Perry for sexual harassment and assault.

Derek Dixon's education and early Career

Derek Dixon grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and later moved to New York City, where he enrolled at Marymount Manhattan College and the T. Schreiber Studio. According to a 2016 interview with Essential Theatre, Dixon started off as a theatre actor, landing roles in The Lion in Winter, Romeo and Juliet and The Boys In The Band.

Apart from acting, his time in theatre motivated him to start writing plays. Essential Theatre lists some of his plays as Homewrecker, Red Snow, Pictures of People, Work of Art and Green Light.

How did Derek Dixon meet Tyler Perry?

Dixon secured a gig on an opening party for Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It was while he was working on the opening party that he met Tyler Perry in September 2019, and the duo exchanged numbers.

Perry would later cast him in the BET+ show Ruthless, a spinoff of The Oval, in November 2019. Dixon had a small role on the show, which aired in March 2020, with Season 5 premiering in August 2024. Dixon also appeared in another Tyler Perry movie, Joy Ridge, which has not been released yet.

Does Derek Dixon have an Instagram account?

Derek Dixon has a verified Instagram account, and his following has increased rapidly ever since he filed the lawsuit against Tyler Perry. As of the time of writing, Dixon had a modest 10.1K followers on Instagram. The account also had 27 picture posts, with the last being him at a professional picture shoot in Malibu. The picture was captioned:

"Golden hour in Malibu with @yvannfilipczak 📷: @pabloovelascoo"

Ntsiki Mazwai reacts to Tyler Perry's allegations

Several South African and international celebrities have weighed in on the allegations levelled against Tyler Perry.

Ntsiki Mazwai was one of the celebrities who shared her thoughts on the allegations against Tyler Perry. However, her reaction left a section of South Africans with more questions than answers.

Several netizens speculated about why black men appeared to be targeted by the American justice system.

Leaked Tyler Perry texts ignite frenzy

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that a leaked text message exchange between Tyler Perry and Derek Dixon went viral online.

After sharing a picture of himself standing in shallow turquoise water beside a white jet ski, Tyler Perry allegedly fished for a compliment from Derek Dixon. In the exchange, Perry came off aggressive.

The alleged conversation between Perry and Dixon sparked a flurry of reactions.

Source: Briefly News