Georgia's Democrat Governor-Elect Keisha Lance Bottoms Names Tyler Perry for Transition Team as He Faces Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The transition team for Georgia’s Democrat governor-elect, Keisha Lance Bottoms, includes media mogul Tyler Perry who in recent years was accused of sexual assault and harassment. Georgia elected Bottoms on Tuesday as its first Democrat governor in over 20 years, Breitbart News reported. During a press conference on Friday, the former Atlanta mayor said she had tapped Perry to join her transition team, according to the Hill. Bottoms stated that “Tyler Perry, entertainment mogul who is also a huge philanthropic part of our Georgia community and owns Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta” had joined her transition team: Per the Hill: The “Madea” creator began his entertainment career in Atlanta, and his production company, Tyler Perry Studios, is based in the city. Bottoms previously worked as an executive producer on one of Perry’s shows, Netflix’s “Miss Governor” — a political comedy that ran for one season and ended in 2025, according to film database IMDB. Bottoms’s transition team included a lineup of prominent Georgia figures — including Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, former Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer, nonprofit leader Michelle Nunn and Delta Air Lines executive Richard Cox, among others. Perry, who campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris (D) in 2024 before she lost the White House to President Donald Trump, was seen stuffing fake bills into the panties of a stripper during an Usher concert, Breitbart News reported in October 2024. The following year, the outlet said, “Tyler Perry is reportedly being sued by The Oval actor Derek Dixon, who is accusing the Hollywood mogul of alleged sexual assault and years of harassment.” In a statement regarding the allegations, Perry’s attorney, Matthew Boyd, said, “This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam… But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.” Dixon later claimed he “couldn’t say no” to Perry’s alleged unwanted advances and was forced to lock himself in a bathroom because he thought he would get raped, the outlet stated. Breitbart News also reported in July of 2025, “Actor and U.S. Army veteran Braxton Wells is accusing the Vice President of Tyler Perry Studios, Mark Swinton, of drugging and raping him three years ago before trying to silence him with a financial bribe and non-disclosure agreement.” More recently, TMZ reported in October that Perry was in a court battle with another sexual assault accuser, Mario Rodriguez, over private text messages.