Tyler Perry is making headlines after being accused of sexual harassment, workplace gender violence and sexual assault in a lawsuit by actor Derek Dixon, who isseeking at least $260 million in damages. However, this is not the first time Perry has come under fire.
In a December 2023Instagram live, Christian Keyes, an actor and writer whose novel ‘Ladies Night’ was adapted in the BET+ show ‘All the Queen’s Men,’ spoke out against alleged abuse he had faced, specifically referring to a “powerful man” in Hollywood who he accused of sexually harassing him. While Keyes did not name his alleged abuser, several internet sleuths speculated that he was talking about Perry. Perry employed Keyes in his stage plays ‘Madea Goes to Jail’ and ‘What’s Done in the Dark,’ and also produced ‘All the Queen’s Men.’
What did Christian Keyes say?
Keyes said in his video at the time that his abuser had several Black people on a payroll. “You get a grown-a** man that knows you're heterosexual and you're sleeping off Hennessey in his guest room, because he says it's safe...I'm 5 full Hennesseys down and not short Hennesseys either. And this dude tries to climb in the bed with you, so you spaz out, push him out," Keyes said while talking the alleged sexual assault.
Social media users are now drawing similarities between Keyes and Dixon’s allegations against Perry. “Actor Derek A Dixon and Christian Keyes stories are extremely similar, and both men continued working with the abuser. Both victims never called the police nor filed a police report,”one X user wrote. “remember Christian Keyes made this video about Tyler Perry (allegedly) last year? I remember a blind item saying he was paid off, but more people will come forward about TP. I guess where there’s smoke, there is fire,” another said. One user wrote, “The same story Derek Dixon is sharing of his alleged sexual assault from Tyler Perry is the SAME story Christian Keyes shared about a “Black Hollywood giant” that he’s worked w/ for yrs before he was bullied into deleting his videos from IG. Believe survivors the FIRST time.”
{{/usCountry}}Social media users are now drawing similarities between Keyes and Dixon’s allegations against Perry. “Actor Derek A Dixon and Christian Keyes stories are extremely similar, and both men continued working with the abuser. Both victims never called the police nor filed a police report,”one X user wrote. “remember Christian Keyes made this video about Tyler Perry (allegedly) last year? I remember a blind item saying he was paid off, but more people will come forward about TP. I guess where there’s smoke, there is fire,” another said. One user wrote, “The same story Derek Dixon is sharing of his alleged sexual assault from Tyler Perry is the SAME story Christian Keyes shared about a “Black Hollywood giant” that he’s worked w/ for yrs before he was bullied into deleting his videos from IG. Believe survivors the FIRST time.”
{{/usCountry}}Dixon’s lawsuit accused Perry of using “his power and influence to molest, abuse, and sexually assault impressionable and vulnerable employees and actors who look to him for guidance and mentorship,” according to The Guardian.Perry has denied the allegations, with his attorney, Matthew Boyd, saying in a statement, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam. But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”