Mario Rodriguez, Allegedly Asked Tyler Perry for Money Before Suing Him for Sexual Assault

It goes without saying that Tyler Perry is one of the most formidable Hollywood success stories. The New Orleans, La., native overcame incredible odds and hardships and is now one of the wealthiest multi-hyphenates in the industry, known for his stage plays, movies, and TV shows.

However, in 2025, Tyler received unwanted attention when he was hit with two sexual assault lawsuits by his former employees, actors Mario Rodriguez and Derek Dixon.

Here’s the rundown on both cases.

Several months after receiving his first sexual assault lawsuit, Tyler faced more legal woes when Mario sued him and his longtime production partner, Lionsgate. Rodriguez claimed that the director sexually assaulted him for numerous years after they first connected on his film, Boo! A Madea Halloween.

According to court documents obtained by Page Six, he met Perry in 2015 after he was approached by one of the mogul’s employees at an Equinox gym and was told that he wanted him to be in his movie. Rodriguez said that the sexual advances came three years later in 2018, when he “tightly hugged” him and touched his genitals. He claimed the assault happened after he and Perry went to dinner to discuss him obtaining a role in his political drama, The Oval.

“Mr. Perry was making sexual moaning noises and saying, ‘Stay here, stay here,’ while he pressed his body against Mr. Rodriguez and continued to grab his penis,” the lawsuit read.

Rodriguez said he denied Perry’s advances, which prompted the Diary of a Mad Black Woman star to apologize and immediately send him $5,000 after he refused him. He further claimed that another instance came in 2019 when Perry allegedly grabbed Rodriguez’s hand and placed it on his private area and told him his life would be easier “if you were to just be with me.” He then claimed Perry gifted him another $5,000 when he refused his advances a second time.

The Madea’s Destination Wedding director’s camp denied Rodriguez’s allegations and have called his claims a “money grab.” His attorney, Alex Spiro, also shared alleged screenshots of texts between them, where Rodriguez asked Perry for money to help with his health issues in August 2025, four months before he sued Perry.

According to Page Six, the actor also thanked him in November 2024 for allowing him to be in Boo! A Madea Halloween and said he would repay him if he could, to which Perry responded, “Happy Thanksgiving my friend. Yeah you’ve been through it. I’m glad you’re doing well. You don’t have to give me a thing or pay me a thing. I’m just glad you’re good.”

Rodriguez’s lawsuit against Perry came after Derek Dixon sued him for $260 million in June 2025. Dixon, who starred in The Oval from 2021-2025, claimed he was approached via text to have a physical relationship with him on several occasions in 2020 and 2021. The lawsuit claims Perry used Dixon's career as leverage, allegedly implying that Dixon's character on The Oval would only remain alive if he kept Perry "happy". Dixon's character was notably shot four times in a Season 2 cliffhanger, which Dixon felt was a warning.

In a September 2025 interview with ABC News, Dixon said he requested $260 million in security after allegedly being fired for refusing Perry’s advances, hoping the mogul would stop his alleged behavior.

“Part of that number is my lost job, my lost income, the loss of a show,” he explained. The other part of that is a deterrent for how do you stop a billionaire who won't stop themselves from doing this."

Since Dixon’s lawsuit, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, has called the accusations against him a “scam.”

“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,” Boyd wrote in a statement. “But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”

Perry himself hasn’t addressed any of his accusations directly.