Celebrity News

Tyler Perry’s Hollywood Pals Steering Clear After Filmmaker Hit With New Assault Allegations

Mike Hammer

Published

on

Getty Images

Beloved filmmaker Tyler Perry’s reputation is in jeopardy of being shattered after shocking sex abuse allegations emerged from a second man — and now skittish Hollywood pals are steering clear of the Madea mastermind, sources say.

Mario Rodriguez/Instagram | ABC

The 56-year-old billionaire was slammed with a $77 million sexual assault and battery lawsuit by model Mario Rodriguez — months after actor Derek Dixon lodged a similar $260 million claim that has accused the mogul of using his lofty position to create a “coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” during the shooting of Perry’s TV project The Oval.

“Tyler Perry is a producer/director who wields immense power in the movie industry,” according to Rodriguez’s searing 23-page complaint, which alleges the star uses his status “to abuse and sexually assault people who hope to secure roles in his movies.”

Perry immediately denied the allegations, branding them nothing more than a “money grab,” per Daily Mail.

Tyler Perry/Instagram

Entertainment insiders say Perry’s bigwig pals — including Scandal actress Kerry Washington, Prince Harry and wife Meghan, and Barack and Michelle Obama — appear to be keeping their distance from the powerhouse producer.

“People are stunned by how quiet his friends are,” one Hollywood insider tells Globe. “Normally Meghan would rush out with public support. This time? Nothing. Not a word.”

Getty Images

Another insider says, “This isn’t just about Tyler anymore. It’s about who knew what — and when.”

Dixon’s lawsuit, filed in June, accuses Perry of sending suggestive texts requesting “guiltless sex” and describes one alleged instance where he “forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon’s clothing, groped his buttocks and attempted to force himself” on the actor.

Perry’s high-powered attorney Matthew Boyd bashed the lawsuit as a bid for cash, insisting his client “will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail,” according to NBC News.

Rodriguez’s lawsuit purports that Perry recruited him from a Los Angeles gym for a role in Boo! A Madea Halloween, but subsequent business meetings at the hotshot’s home turned into touchy-feely molestation attempts.

CraSH/imageSPACE / MEGA

The suit states, “Mr. Perry grabbed Mr. Rodriguez’s leg right along his penis, [and] while rub[bing] it Perry would say, ‘It’s alright.’ ”

Perry’s lawyer Alex Spiro called the second lawsuit a shakedown and predicted it would be “a failed money grab.”

Rodriguez’s claims faced scrutiny after the filing when texts emerged from him begging the filmmaker for money to help pay medical bills.

The insider tells Globe that Tinseltown’s elite are avoiding Perry like the plague: “No one wants to be the first celebrity photographed standing next to him if this gets worse.”

Trending News

Politics4 days ago

Melania Trump Suggests Son Barron, 20, Is ‘Happy’ They Don’t See Each Other Often

Politics4 days ago

JD Vance Identified as Anonymous Source Behind Story President Trump Used to Ban Politico From White House

News3 days ago

Researchers Ignite Noah’s Ark Debate After Saying Boat-Shaped Mound Near Mount Ararat ‘100%’ Man-Made

HUMAN INTEREST / VIRAL5 days ago

Texas Lawyer Whose Outfit Was Mocked by Judge Received ‘Ugly’ Comments From Fellow Female Attorneys

Lindsay Clancy Trial Holdout Juror Lindsay Clancy Trial Holdout Juror
Legal News5 days ago

Lindsay Clancy Holdout Juror Alleges Other Jurors Used Phones During Murder Trial Deliberations

Politics5 days ago

Ari Emanuel Reveals Who President Trump Suggested Could Be the Next Commander in Chief: ‘Formidable’

Etosha Salt Pan Adventure/Facebook Etosha Salt Pan Adventure/Facebook
Animals3 days ago

Terrifying Video Shows Black Rhino Charging Tourist Jeep and Tearing Off Hood During Namibia Safari

Celebrity Couples3 days ago

Catherine Zeta-Jones Celebrates Michael Douglas’ Birthday Amid Rumors of Trouble in Paradise

Crime4 days ago

Mom Leaves Sick Son With Siblings to Spend Night With Boyfriend, Ignores Desperate Calls for Help

Politics4 days ago

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Denies Claims He Hid Evidence About Toxic 9/11 Fumes

News4 days ago

Third Person Dies in Rare Malaria Outbreak Possibly Linked to Mosquito Trapped on Airplane

DeSoto County Sheriff's Office DeSoto County Sheriff's Office
Crime2 days ago

6-Time Convicted Felon Arrested With Rifle, Meth and 11 Lbs of Saw Palmetto Berries at Traffic Stop