In June, a man named Derek Dixon sued Tyler Perry for sexual assault and harassment. Dixon appeared on one of Perry’s TV shows, and Dixon claimed that Perry approached him, invited Dixon into his home, got him drunk and then groped him. Dixon even released some of the text messages between himself and Tyler Perry, only the text messages gave a lot of people the impression that the relationship was more complicated than predator/victim. Well, Dixon’s lawyer has a new client, and that client also claims that Tyler Perry assaulted him too. This second man, Mario Rodriguez, is suing Tyler for $77 million.
Tyler Perry has been sued over allegations of sexual assault brought by a new accuser, an actor who appeared in the 2016 movie “Boo! A Madea Halloween.” In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Mario Rodriguez alleges that Perry assaulted him on multiple occasions over several years at Perry’s Los Angeles home. According to the complaint, Perry allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward Rodriguez, including a 2018 incident in which Perry “tightly hugged” him and “grabbed his p—s.”
Rodriguez, who played “Frat Guy #10” in Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” is suing for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is also bringing a claim against Lionsgate, distributor of “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” for allegedly ignoring Perry’s actions. Rodriguez is seeking at least $77 million.
The complaint describes an incident that allegedly occurred in Perry’s home screening room a few months after they met in 2015. “Mr. Perry then put his hand on Mr. Rodriguez’s leg and began rubbing his inner thigh right next to his p–s. Mr. Perry told Mr. Rodriguez ‘It’s ok,’ while he continued to rub his thigh.”
Rodriguez alleges that the two broke off contact in 2019 but that Perry would periodically reach out to him after that. The complaint states that Rodriguez was motivated to bring his claim against Perry after reading reports about Derek Dixon’s lawsuit earlier this year.
In response to Rodriguez’s suit, Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Perry, said in a statement shared with Variety, “Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab.”
Spiro was referring to another lawsuit against Perry filed in June. Dixon, an actor who appeared on Perry’s BET series “The Oval,” accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment and assault. Dixon, who appeared in 85 episodes of the drama show, alleged that while staying at the entertainment mogul’s guesthouse in June 2021, Perry grabbed his buttocks while intoxicated.
Dixon’s lawsuit barely made a dent in Tyler’s celebrity or reputation – since he was sued by Dixon, Tyler has been out and about, socializing with Beyonce and Jay-Z, and hanging out with other A-listers. I wonder if this second lawsuit will do more damage, because there seems to be a familiar pattern with the accusations.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
