Filmmaker Tyler Perry has been charged with sexual assault by actor Mario Rodriguez in the second lawsuit in recent months.
According to the Associated Press, Rodriguez, an actor who appeared in Boo! A Madea Halloween, filed the lawsuit Thursday in California.
He alleged that Perry subjected him to repeated unwanted sexual advances over several years, including sexual assault and battery at Perry’s Los Angeles home.
The actor is seeking at least $77 million in damages and has also sued Lionsgate, which distributed the 2016 film, accusing the studio of turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct.
In a statement, Perry’s attorney denied the allegations.
In June, actor Derek Dixon filed a civil lawsuit accusing Tyler Perry of repeated sexual abuse and harassment.
The oval actor is seeking $260 million in damages from Perry in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The disturbing details in the lawsuit suggested that the alleged harassment took place over an extended period of time, including when Perry was widely praised for helping Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their transition from royal life in Britain to the US.
In early 2020, Perry offered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a private home in Los Angeles and complete security after they left Britain and temporarily found themselves unable to find a safe haven.
This act of generosity was highlighted in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s documentary Harry & Meghan, in which Perry discusses his decision to support the couple.
Perry said he identified with Meghan’s emotional pain and felt compelled to intervene when “no one else would help them.”
However, based on the dates cited in Dixon’s complaint, Perry is said to have continued to harass his former employee during the same period in which he was featured in the documentary portraying himself as a protector and ally of the vulnerable.
Neither Prince Harry nor his wife Meghan Markle have commented publicly on the first lawsuit against Tyler Perry.
According to observers, the latest lawsuit against the filmmaker will likely force the royal couple to break their silence.
