Tyler Perry accuser Derek Dixson breaks silence on allegations

The man who filed a  $260 million lawsuit against Tyler Perry accusing him of sexual harassment has finally broken his silence on why he decided to move against the actor and filmmaker.

Speaking exclusively to The Hollywood Reporter, Derek Dixson said bringing lawsuit against  Perry has been terrifying but that he couldn't just let him get away with this.

Dixon added, "Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them." 

"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."

Asked if he tried to settle with Perry privately before filing his complaint, the actor answered, "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.

People.com reported that they approached Perry's attorney for a comment on Dixon's interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

In his response, attorney Matthew Boyd told people.com, "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam."

The lawyer added, "But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail."