Tyler Perry hit with new $77M sexual assault lawsuit from male model
Tyler Perry is facing new sexual assault allegations.
Model Mario Rodriguez filed a lawsuit Thursday against Perry, alleging the filmmaker made repeated unwanted sexual advances over several years after Rodriguez appeared in the 2016 film “Boo! A Madea Halloween.”
Rodriguez is seeking $77 million in damages, according to the filing.
TYLER PERRY SUED FOR $260M BY ACTOR CLAIMING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT
The lawsuit says Rodriguez was first approached in 2014 by a trainer at an Equinox gym in Los Angeles who told him Perry wanted his phone number to talk about an acting role. Perry later encouraged Rodriguez to audition for “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” allegedly telling him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner.”
After the aspiring actor was cast, Rodriguez claimed he was invited to Perry’s home, where Perry allegedly touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie. The complaint describes other alleged incidents in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including one in which Perry allegedly tried to unbuckle Rodriguez’s pants and another in which he allegedly placed Rodriguez’s hand on his genitals. The lawsuit also claims Perry gave Rodriguez $5,000 on several occasions following those encounters.
Perry’s legal team denied the allegations to Fox News Digital. “This is nothing but a 77 million dollar money grab scam,” Perry’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said in a statement.
Fox News Digital also reached out to a representative for Rodriguez.
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Perry was previously named in a $260 million sexual assault lawsuit in June. Derek Dixon accused him of creating “a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while filming “The Oval” and “Ruthless.” Dixon portrayed the character Dale in both series.
The complaint, obtained by Fox News Digital, accused the filmmaker of “initially promising him [Dixon] career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry’s unwanted advances.”
Dixon said that he met Perry in September 2019 while working at the opening party of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. By November 2019, Perry offered Dixon a role in “Ruthless” that would “change his life,” according to the complaint.
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Dixon claimed he was sexually assaulted by Perry in January 2020 and was offered a role as a series regular in “The Oval” the following month. After reading the script for the first season, Dixon learned that his character’s fate was left up in the air by the season finale.
“Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos, Dixon’s character would ‘die’ in the next season. Indeed, Dixon’s character ‘Dale’ was shot four times in the chest at the end of his first season on ‘The Oval,’ and Perry always held this over Mr. Dixon’s head, implying that ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy,’” the complaint stated.
After filming the scene, Dixon stated that he went to Perry’s trailer and was groped by the star. According to Dixon, he was sexually assaulted by Perry again in 2021.
Perry has denied all allegations.
Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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