Is Tyler Perry gay?

Thousands of people have questioned Tyler Perry's sexuality after the actor and filmmaker was accused of sexual assault by an actor Derek Dixon.

Dixon, an actor on the U.S. BET television show "The Oval"  filed a civil lawsuit that accuses  Perry of repeated sexual assault and harassment.

Derek Dixon is seeking $260 million in punitive damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The man's allegations has led some people to believe that Tyler Perry is gay.

The impression is incorrect because there is no public indication or confirmation that Tyler Perry identifies as gay.

He was married to Gelila Bekele, an Ethiopian model from 2019 till they parted ways amicably. 

Perry has previously been in relationships with women and has a son with his ex-partner, Emmitt Perry III. 

In the suit, Dixon accuses Perry of "a sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault and retaliation."

An attorney for Perry called the lawsuit "a scam."

"This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than a scam," attorney Matthew Boyd said in a statement. 

"But Tyler Perry will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail."

Perry is a successful actor, writer and producer of dozens of TV shows and films, including the "Madea" movie series. 

Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.4 billion.

The lawsuit claims Perry met Dixon when he was working on the event staff at a party Perry was hosting, and that Perry offered him a role on the series "Ruthless" in 2019 and a bigger part later on "The Oval."

Dixon alleges that Perry sent unwanted, sexually suggestive text messages to him. The suit includes screenshots of what it said were exchanges between the two.