Tyler Perry Lawsuit 2026: What’s Verified, What’s Still Pending
Quick Answer
- Two real lawsuits are active against Tyler Perry: Derek Dixon ($260 million) and Mario Rodriguez ($77 million).
- There is no public settlement fund or claim you can file. These are individual civil suits, not a class action.
- Neither case has a trial date. Both remain in pre-trial motions and discovery as of mid-2026.
If you searched “Tyler Perry lawsuit” hoping to find a claim form, stop here first: there isn’t one. This is not a consumer class action with a payout for the public. It’s two individual civil suits brought by named plaintiffs against Perry personally, and this article explains exactly what’s confirmed about both.
Actor Derek Dixon filed the first suit in June 2025 in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking $260 million over alleged sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation tied to Perry’s BET series “The Oval.” Model and actor Mario Rodriguez followed in December 2025 with a $77 million suit alleging assault dating back to 2015.
This article breaks down both cases, what Perry’s legal team has said in response, and where each stands in court right now. One detail surprises a lot of readers: Perry says he already rejected a multimillion dollar settlement offer before the Rodriguez case escalated into a deposition fight this month.
The Facts
| Dixon Case | Rodriguez Case | |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Dixon v. Perry, et al. | Rodriguez v. Perry, et al. |
| Case Number | 25STCV17235 | Not publicly confirmed |
| Court | Filed in L.A. Superior Court, now in U.S. District Court, N.D. Georgia | Los Angeles Superior Court |
| Status | Active, pre-trial, no trial date | Active, pre-motion, pre-discovery |
| Amount Sought | $260 million | At least $77 million |
| Settlement Fund | Not applicable, no class action | Not applicable, no class action |
| Claim Deadline | Not applicable, individual lawsuit | Not applicable, individual lawsuit |
| Administrator | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Public Claims Process | None exists | None exists |
Neither case is a class action, so there is no fund, no administrator, and no form for the public to fill out. If you ever see a text or social post claiming you can “join” the Tyler Perry lawsuit for a payout, that’s a scam, not this case.
Is the Tyler Perry lawsuit real?
Yes, both lawsuits against Tyler Perry are real and verifiable through court records. Derek Dixon’s suit is filed under case number 25STCV17235 and is publicly documented in Los Angeles Superior Court filings that later moved to federal court. Mario Rodriguez’s suit was filed December 25, 2025, also in Los Angeles Superior Court, and is confirmed through multiple court-record-citing outlets including TMZ and Deadline.
Both suits accuse Perry of sexual misconduct spanning years, using his industry influence over casting and career opportunities. Perry has denied every allegation in both cases through his attorneys.
Key Takeaway: These are two separate, verified individual lawsuits against Tyler Perry, not one combined class action, and no public claims process exists for either.
How much money is Tyler Perry being sued for?
Tyler Perry faces a combined $337 million in damages across both lawsuits. That breaks down as $260 million sought by Derek Dixon and at least $77 million sought by Mario Rodriguez.
Neither figure is a confirmed payout. Lawsuit demand amounts are what a plaintiff asks for in a complaint, not what a court has awarded or what Perry has agreed to pay. Not yet determined: any actual settlement or judgment amount in either case.
- Dixon suit: $260 million, includes punitive damages and attorney’s fees
- Rodriguez suit: $77 million, also names Lionsgate as a co-defendant
- Combined ask: $337 million across both complaints
Is there a settlement or payout for the public in the Tyler Perry lawsuit?
No. There is no settlement fund tied to either Tyler Perry lawsuit that the public can file a claim against. Both cases are individual civil suits between named plaintiffs and Perry, similar to a personal injury claim rather than a class action.
A class action settlement, like the kind you might see for a data breach or a defective product, opens a claims window for anyone affected. These two cases work differently. Only Dixon and Rodriguez are parties, and only they stand to receive money if either case settles or goes to trial and Perry loses.
Think of it like a workplace dispute between one employee and one employer. The outcome affects that employee’s paycheck, not a whole class of people who happened to work at the same company.
Can I file a claim against Tyler Perry?
Only if you personally have a legal claim against Perry and retain your own attorney. There is no shared claim form, portal, or administrator connected to either the Dixon or Rodriguez lawsuit.
If you believe you have your own separate experience to report, that is a matter for a private attorney consultation, not something this article, or any news site, can process for you. Steps a person in that situation would typically take:
- Document everything you remember with dates
- Save any texts, emails, or messages
- Consult a licensed attorney in your state
- Understand your state’s statute of limitations
- Decide independently whether to pursue legal action
Reality Check: No legitimate case administrator ever texts or emails you first asking for personal information to “join” a settlement. Filing any real legal claim is free through an attorney, and anyone charging an upfront fee to add your name to a celebrity lawsuit is not operating a real claims process.
How do I follow the Tyler Perry lawsuit case status?
You can track both cases through official public court records rather than social media claims. Los Angeles Superior Court’s online case index covers the Rodriguez filing, and Dixon’s case is now docketed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
- Los Angeles Superior Court public case access, using case number 25STCV17235 for the Dixon filing’s origin
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, for Dixon’s current federal docket
- Established entertainment law outlets that cite filings directly, such as Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
Avoid third-party “case tracker” sites that ask for your email or personal details before showing basic docket information. Court records are public and free to search directly.
What is the latest update in the Tyler Perry lawsuit?
As of mid-July 2026, the Rodriguez case is centered on a fight over Perry’s deposition. Perry’s legal team says Rodriguez’s attorneys are trying to pressure him into settling by insisting on questioning him about his sexual orientation.
Perry filed a response stating he already agreed to sit for a deposition and is “not embarrassed” to answer questions, but argues sexual orientation questions are irrelevant to the assault allegations. Perry also claims Rodriguez proposed a multimillion dollar settlement before this dispute intensified, and that he rejected it.
In March 2026, Perry’s team separately moved to dismiss the Rodriguez suit outright, calling it “baseless” and “outlandish” in court filings. That motion’s outcome was not confirmed as of this writing.
Key Takeaway: The most recent public fight in either case is a procedural dispute over a deposition in the Rodriguez suit, not a settlement announcement or trial date.
When is the next court hearing in the Tyler Perry case?
No public trial date has been set in either the Dixon or Rodriguez lawsuit as of mid-2026. Both cases remain in earlier procedural stages, with motions and scheduling still unresolved.
What Happens Next
- Early 2026 (confirmed): Judge reassignment in the Rodriguez case, with Judge Brock Hammond replacing Judge Killefer in January 2026.
- March 2026 (confirmed): Perry’s team filed a motion to dismiss the Rodriguez lawsuit.
- July 2026 (confirmed): Dispute over deposition scope and settlement pressure claims became public in new filings.
- Expected next stage: Rulings on pending motions in both cases, which typically precede any scheduling of discovery deadlines or trial dates.
- Expected timeline: Neither case is expected to reach trial before late 2026 at the earliest, based on current pre-trial status.
Who is Derek Dixon?
Derek Dixon is an actor and playwright best known for playing Dale, a recurring character across roughly 85 episodes of Perry’s BET drama “The Oval” between 2021 and 2025. He also appeared in Perry’s series “Ruthless.”
Dixon filed his lawsuit on June 13, 2025, alleging Perry used his position as executive producer to create what the complaint calls a “coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic.” He has said publicly that his goal was not financial but to push for change in how the entertainment industry handles harassment.
Dixon claims the alleged harassment cost him nearly $400,000 in lost income after he left “The Oval” during its final season, and that it left him with stress-related health issues, including a prescription for an anxiety medication in late 2020.
Who is Mario Rodriguez?
Mario Rodriguez is an actor and model who appeared in a minor role, credited as “Frat Guy #10,” in Perry’s 2016 film “Boo! A Madea Halloween.” He filed his lawsuit December 25, 2025, roughly six months after Dixon’s suit became public.
Rodriguez alleges he was first approached about Perry in 2014 through a gym trainer, was later cast in the film, and was then invited to Perry’s home, where he says unwanted sexual contact began and continued between 2015 and 2019. His suit also names distributor Lionsgate as a co-defendant.
Rodriguez’s attorney, Jonathan Delshad, also represents Dixon and has said publicly he believes more accusers may come forward.
What are the allegations against Tyler Perry?
Both lawsuits allege Perry used his influence over casting and career opportunities to pressure the plaintiffs into unwanted sexual contact over multiple years. The two complaints describe separate, unconnected timelines and incidents.
Dixon’s complaint describes alleged incidents including unwanted touching in a trailer, on a cast trip, and at Perry’s Atlanta home, along with sexually explicit text messages cited directly in the filing. Rodriguez’s complaint describes similar allegations of touching and coercion beginning at Perry’s Los Angeles home in 2015, plus recurring cash payments of $5,000 on multiple occasions afterward, according to the complaint.
Perry denies every allegation in both suits and has not been criminally charged in connection with either case.
How has Tyler Perry responded to the lawsuits?
Tyler Perry has denied all allegations in both lawsuits through his attorneys, calling the claims fabricated and describing them as attempts to extract a payout. His representative, Matthew Boyd, called the Dixon suit an attempt to “shake” Perry down for money in an early statement.
Attorney Alex Spiro, also representing Perry, called the combined allegations a “$77 million money grab scam” in a statement responding to the second lawsuit. In the more recent Rodriguez dispute, Perry has said he is willing to testify about his personal life without embarrassment but objects to the relevance of the questioning.
Perry’s team has also filed to dismiss the Rodriguez case entirely, arguing the claims lack merit.
Key Takeaway: Perry disputes both lawsuits in full and has taken formal steps to have at least one dismissed, but neither case has been resolved or dismissed as of mid-2026.
What court is handling the Tyler Perry lawsuit?
The two lawsuits are in two different courts. The Dixon case started in Los Angeles Superior Court, moved to federal court in California, and was then transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after a judge ruled Dixon had not shown California residency.
The Rodriguez case remains in Los Angeles Superior Court. It was reassigned from Judge Killefer to Judge Brock Hammond in January 2026, and as of mid-2026 no hearing dates had been publicly scheduled.
| Case | Original Court | Current Court |
|---|---|---|
| Dixon v. Perry | L.A. Superior Court | U.S. District Court, N.D. Georgia |
| Rodriguez v. Perry | L.A. Superior Court | L.A. Superior Court |
Is Lionsgate also being sued in the Tyler Perry case?
Yes, in the Rodriguez lawsuit specifically. Rodriguez’s complaint names Lionsgate Entertainment as a co-defendant, arguing the studio distributed “Boo! A Madea Halloween” while allegedly ignoring warning signs about Perry’s conduct.
Lionsgate has not issued a substantive public response to the allegations as of this writing. Dixon’s lawsuit does not name Lionsgate; it instead names Perry’s production companies, TPS Production Services and And Action LLC, along with unnamed additional defendants.
A studio distribution deal working alongside a personal misconduct claim is a bit like a landlord getting pulled into a dispute over what happened inside a tenant’s apartment. The studio didn’t create the alleged conduct, but the plaintiff argues it should have caught warning signs sooner.
What happens if Tyler Perry loses either lawsuit?
If a court rules against Perry in either case, the plaintiff could be awarded damages, though any amount would be determined by a judge or jury, not the figure originally requested in the complaint. Civil suits routinely settle for amounts different from the initial demand, or get dismissed before ever reaching a jury.
Possible paths forward in either case include a motion to dismiss being granted, a private settlement with terms that may never become public, or a trial resulting in a jury verdict. Not yet determined: which path either case will take, since both remain in early stages.
None of these outcomes create a payout for the public. Only Dixon and Rodriguez, as named plaintiffs, are entitled to any damages from their respective cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Tyler Perry lawsuit a class action?
No.
Both lawsuits are individual civil suits filed by two separate plaintiffs, Derek Dixon and Mario Rodriguez.
There is no class action or shared claim process tied to either case.
Can other people join the Tyler Perry lawsuit?
Not through either existing case.
Anyone with a separate personal claim would need to file their own lawsuit with their own attorney.
Dixon’s attorney has said publicly he believes more accusers could come forward independently.
How much has Tyler Perry been sued for in total?
The two lawsuits together seek $337 million.
Derek Dixon’s suit seeks $260 million and Mario Rodriguez’s suit seeks at least $77 million.
Neither amount reflects a confirmed settlement or court judgment.
Has Tyler Perry settled either lawsuit?
No settlement has been publicly confirmed in either case as of mid-2026.
Perry says he rejected a multimillion dollar settlement demand in the Rodriguez case before the dispute escalated.
Both cases remain active in pre-trial stages.
What court is the Dixon lawsuit in now?
The Dixon case is in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
It started in Los Angeles Superior Court, moved to federal court in California, then transferred to Georgia.
The transfer followed a ruling that Dixon had not established California residency.
Is there a deadline to file a claim in the Tyler Perry lawsuit?
There is no public claim deadline because there is no public claims process.
Both lawsuits are private civil suits between named plaintiffs and Perry.
Statutes of limitations apply only to someone filing their own separate legal action, not to these existing cases.
Has Tyler Perry been criminally charged?
No criminal charges have been publicly confirmed against Perry in connection with either lawsuit as of mid-2026.
Both the Dixon and Rodriguez cases are civil suits, not criminal proceedings.
Civil and criminal cases follow separate legal processes with different standards of proof.
Who are Tyler Perry’s attorneys in these cases?
Alex Spiro and Matthew Boyd have both represented Perry in public statements responding to the lawsuits.
Both have denied the allegations and characterized the suits as attempts to extract money from Perry.
Court filings may list additional attorneys of record for each specific case.
Watch the actual court dockets, not social media claims, for real movement in either case. The next real signal to track is a ruling on Perry’s motion to dismiss in the Rodriguez case, which had not been decided as of mid-July 2026.
