Derek Dixon/ Instagram ; Prince Williams/FilmMagic Derek Dixon broke his silence after filing a $260 million lawsuit against Tyler Perry, accusing the entertainment mogul of sexual harassment, assault and retaliation Dixon, who appeared on Perry's showsRuthlessandThe Oval, said bringing his lawsuit forward has been "terrifying" but that he "couldn't just let him get away with this" An attorney for Perry maintains that he "will not be shaken down" and he is "confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail" Derek Dixonis speaking out for the first time sincefiling a $260 million lawsuitagainstTyler Perryover alleged sexual harassment, assault and retaliation. The actor, who starred on Perry's showsRuthlessandThe Ovalas Dale, toldThe Hollywood Reporterin an email interview that bringing this lawsuit against the entertainment mogul has been "terrifying" but that he "couldn't just let him get away with this." "Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them," Dixon said. "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." Matthew Boyd, an attorney for Perry, reiterated his initial statement to PEOPLE in the wake of Dixon's email interview withTHR, saying, "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam." The statement continued, "But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Derek Dixon/Instagram "This is why people, especially men, don't come forward," he said of the negative attention, also adding, "I was too afraid to come forward. I knew it would be awful. And I was right." Dixon was also asked if he tried to settle with Perry privately before filing his complaint. "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 said. "At the end of the day my absolute fear is that he will be able to continue doing this without any major consequences." Dixon said he tried to convince himself for a long time that something like this "was part of the industry, or that I had to accept it to keep working." "But eventually, I couldn't stay silent anymore," he said. Dixon accused Perry in the lawsuit of "initially promising him 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 he "did not reciprocate" Perry's "unwanted advances." The complaint details instances of Perry allegedly pinning Dixon against the wall of Perry's trailer and "aggressively groping Dixon's buttocks in a sexual motion," as well as several sexual assaults that occurred at Perry's home. Noam Galai/Getty Dixon is requesting a jury trial and damages of $260 million. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org. Read the original article onPeople
