Text messages sit at the center of two civil suits against Tyler Perry, but they cut in opposite directions. In Derek Dixon’s $260 million case, messages Perry allegedly sent are quoted as evidence of sexual harassment. In Mario Rodriguez’s $77 million case, messages Rodriguez sent Perry are being used by Perry’s defense to argue the allegations are false. Perry denies both suits.
What Dixon Says Perry Texted Him
Dixon’s 46-page complaint, filed June 13, 2025, in Los Angeles Superior Court, quotes messages he attributes to Perry over the course of their working relationship on the BET series The Oval, where Dixon played “Dale” across 85 episodes.1The Hollywood Reporter. Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Interview
According to the filing, Perry wrote: “What’s it going to take for you to have guiltless sex? Have you found that yet in therapy?” Another message told Dixon he needed to “let someone hold you and make love to you.”2ABC News. Actor Accused Tyler Perry of Sexual Assault Speaks for First Time
Other quoted texts describe Dixon’s body and behavior. Perry allegedly called Dixon “thick,” asked “Why do you twist your hips when you walk?”, and wrote that Dixon “liked being choked.”1The Hollywood Reporter. Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Interview
The complaint also quotes messages Dixon says came when he didn’t reply quickly enough. One reads: “Derek. Don’t you dare ignore me. I deserve better. I deserve attention all the time.” After a 2020 cast trip to the Bahamas, Perry reportedly told Dixon to “sit still this week,” which the lawsuit characterizes as an effort to control Dixon’s contact with other men.3WIS TV. Tyler Perry Accused of Sexual Harassment, Sued for $260 Million
How the Messages Tie to the Job
Dixon met Perry in September 2019 at a studio opening party in Atlanta and was soon cast on Ruthless, then given a series-regular role on The Oval by February 2020. His claims include quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and retaliation. He is represented by Jonathan Delshad.1The Hollywood Reporter. Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Interview
The complaint says Dixon read the pressure as tied to his employment and feared his character would be killed off if he didn’t respond. It also alleges Perry often sent the messages while intoxicated.1The Hollywood Reporter. Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Interview A pilot script Dixon wrote called Losing It, which Perry said in July 2020 he “loved” and wanted to shoot, was allegedly dangled as career leverage and never produced.4Deadline. Tyler Perry Sexual Harassment Complaint
The messages also frame the alleged physical incidents in the complaint, which include Perry climbing into Dixon’s bed at a Douglasville County, Georgia guest house in January 2020; groping Dixon against a wall in an on-set trailer; and, in June 2021, allegedly pulling down Dixon’s underwear at Perry’s Atlanta home while saying, “No, no, no, it’s OK, just go with it” and “I’m not going to hurt you.”5Variety. Tyler Perry Accuser Interview on Sexual Assault6Delshad Legal. Dixon v. Tyler Perry et al
Dixon ended communication with Perry in spring 2024 and left The Oval that September, walking away from a contract he says was worth roughly $400,000. He filed an EEOC complaint in mid-2024 that remained pending as of mid-2025.1The Hollywood Reporter. Tyler Perry Accuser Derek Dixon Interview
The Rodriguez Messages Cut the Other Way
Mario Rodriguez, who appeared in the 2016 film Boo! A Madea Halloween, filed a separate $77 million lawsuit on December 25, 2025, in Los Angeles Superior Court, also represented by Delshad. Rodriguez alleges Perry subjected him to unwanted sexual contact between 2014 and 2019, including a 2015 incident in Perry’s home screening room and a 2018 encounter in which Perry allegedly grabbed his genitals.7Variety. Tyler Perry Sexual Assault Lawsuit by Mario Rodriguez8Deadline. Tyler Perry Sued for Sexual Assault by Madea Halloween Actor
Here the texts run in the opposite direction. The lawsuit says Rodriguez cut off contact with Perry in 2019, but screenshots obtained by the Associated Press show messages from Rodriguez to Perry as recently as Thanksgiving 2024 and August 2025. In the Thanksgiving note, Rodriguez told Perry he appreciated him “to the moon.” In August, describing health and money troubles, Rodriguez wrote: “I know I promised you I would never ask you for anything, but if it is what I think it is, I don’t think I could do it on my own because I barely pay my bills.”9CBS News. Tyler Perry’s Accuser Sent Messages of Gratitude and Friendship Years After Alleged Assault10Los Angeles Times. Tyler Perry Lawsuit: Madea Halloween Actor Text Messages
Rodriguez has acknowledged sending the messages. He said he was “polite, grateful, or vulnerable” in a state of desperation, and argued that “continued financial support and access are not inconsistent with abuse.”10Los Angeles Times. Tyler Perry Lawsuit: Madea Halloween Actor Text Messages
Perry’s Denials
Perry has denied the allegations in both suits. In the Dixon case, attorney Matthew Boyd called the claims “fabricated” and the lawsuit a “shakedown,” stating, “Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”11ABC News. Tyler Perry Denies Claims in $260M Lawsuit
In the Rodriguez case, attorney Alex Spiro has called the suit “nothing but a $77 million money grab scam.” Perry’s team filed a formal response in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 27, 2026, denying all claims and arguing that Rodriguez repeatedly asked Perry for financial help with his apartment, car, bills, and medical expenses, and invented the assault allegations after Perry stopped providing money. The same day, Perry’s lawyers moved to remove the case to California federal court, contending state court was not the proper venue because Perry resides primarily in Georgia.12Complex. Tyler Perry $77 Million Lawsuit Response13USA Today. Tyler Perry Responds to Mario Rodriguez Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Where the Cases Stand
The Dixon lawsuit was moved from Los Angeles Superior Court to federal court and then transferred in December 2025 to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta, where it is docketed as case number 1:25-cv-07102.14GovInfo. Derek Dixon v. Tyler Perry et al As of mid-2026, no trial date, settlement, or dispositive ruling has been reported.11ABC News. Tyler Perry Denies Claims in $260M Lawsuit
The Rodriguez lawsuit is also pending. Perry’s motion to dismiss was filed in late February 2026, and no ruling on it has been reported.15East Bay Times. Tyler Perry Wants $77 Million Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed Neither case has produced a finding of fact or a judicial determination on the merits of the allegations, and the messages quoted on both sides remain allegations tied to filings, not evidence tested at trial.