Tyler Perry facts: Age, wife, children, net worth—
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright and producer. With the highly successful ‘Tyler Perry’s House of Payne’, a TV series, he became one of the highest earning people in the entertainment business for the year 2011.
His plays, films and sitcoms, based on the themes of typical African-American households, are very popular for their dramatization and satirical tones. His main character ‘Madea’, a grandmother, played by Perry himself, has garnered him immense fame.
‘Madea’ is a wise and brave woman, who is always protecting and taking care of family and friends, at all costs. Inspired by the personality of his mother, Perry created this character and gave her the best appeal ever.
About this character, Oprah Winfrey once made a comment “I think that’s what Madea really is: a compilation of all those strong black women that I know and maybe you do too? And so the reason it works is because people see themselves.”
She also believes in the fact that, since Perry was raised by a “strong, black women”, he was very much inspired to create a character which not only celebrates her, but also immortalizes her.
Therefore, his subjects and themes which reflect the strength, weaknesses, achievements, failures and problems of the African-Americans, center on this character.
Tyler Perry Age
Tyler Perry was born on September 13, 1969. He celebrated his 54th birthday in 2023. He was born Emmitt Perry Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Tyler Perry parents are Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell) and Emmitt Perry Sr., a carpenter. He has three siblings.
As a child, he faced physical abuse from his father and even tried to commit suicide once – to save himself from the brutality. His mother was his only comfort, who would take him to the church every Sunday.
At the age of 16, he changed his name from Emmitt to Tyler to keep himself aloof from his father. He also dropped out from high school and later earned a General Educational Development (GED) degree.
While watching an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, he heard a comment from someone who stated, writing can help overcome depression and provides strength.
Inspired by the remark, he began writing letters addressed to himself which later served as the basis for the musical ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed’. The play was staged for the first time in 1992 in Atlanta.
Career
Although he was financially unstable, Tyler repeatedly rewrote and reproduced his musical after its initial performance. In 1998 Tyler’s musical ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed’ was well received by audiences and continued to put on shows at several different locations.
In 2000 he produced a second play, ‘I Can Do Bad All by Myself,’ which featured Tyler Perry’s iconic ‘Madea,’ a character played by himself.
A year later, he produced ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman’ followed by ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’ the next year. Both of these received positive reactions.
In 2003 came ‘Madea’s Class Reunion,’ which led to him promoting his plays during the first tour. The year 2005 brought Perry’s debut on the big screen with his film ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman’ instantly became a huge success.
In 2006 Perry filmed ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’ and launched his new television series on TBS (Tyler Perry Studios) called ‘Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.’
Later that same year, he published his best-selling book,’ Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life.’
In 2007 he released the film ‘Daddy’s Little Girls’ and in 2008, his film ‘Meet the Browns’ did so well that it was adapted into a television sitcom the following year.
Since then, he has produced numerous films, including ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family,’ ‘Why Did I Get Married Too?,’ ‘Good Deeds,’ ‘A Madea Christmas,’ ‘The Single Moms Club,’ and more recently ‘Acrimony.’
Tyler Perry Wife
As of the time of writing this article (January 2023), Tyler Perry is not married and does not have a wife. The actor has revealed that he is single and experiencing a midlife crisis.
However, he was previously in a long-term relationship with Gelila Bekele, Bekele is an American model who was born in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.
She was discovered as a model at the age of 19, while still attending the University of California, Berkeley. She began her modelling career working for Ford Models New York and Paris in 2006.
Over the years she has worked with popular designers and brands including the likes of Pantene, L’Oreal, Michael Kors, H&M, Pinko, Levi’s, etc.
Gelila Bekele and Tyler Perry met at a Prince’s concert in 2007. Tyler Perry described their meeting as love at first sight, stating that they had an instant connection that led them to start a relationship immediately.
They were together for more than a decade and although there were speculations that they got married secretly, neither of them confirmed the rumours.
Gelila Bekele and Tyler Perry had an on and off relationship for a while and eventually decided to break up in 2020. It was speculated that the reason for their split is Tyler Perry’s hectic schedule and his inability to maintain a relationship with his partner.
Tyler Perry Children
Tyler Perry has one biological child named Aman Tyler Perry with his ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele. Aman was born to Tyler Perry and Ethiopian model, filmmaker and activist Gelila Bekele on November. 30, 2014.
“All of this other stuff is really great. But the thing that gives me motivation every day is being Aman’s father,” he told AARP The Magazine in 2022. Shortly after welcoming Aman, 9, in 2014, Perry told PEOPLE that parenthood was “surreal, incredible, moving.”
“I see my face in him every day and it’s pretty wonderful,” he said at the New York City premiere of Selma, adding, “[I’m surprised] how much of a personality he has of his own. Just watching his facial expressions and realizing that this kid has come to me with his own life, and mine is not his and his is not mine. I’m just here to usher him.”
It may be a while before fans see that face, however, as Perry hopes to keep Aman out of the spotlight. “My son’s not famous. I want him to have as normal a life as he can,” Perry told AARP. “I want him to know what it’s like to have his own name and his own life and not have the pressure of trying to live up to whatever or whoever your father was.”
Perry and Bekele split in 2020, but a source told PEOPLE at the time that the pair “stayed close friends” and “their focus is on being the best parents they can for their son.” The two are on the same page with parenting, especially when it comes to keeping Aman down to earth.
Tyler Perry Net Worth
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright and producer who has a net worth of $1 billion. Perry was the third highest-paid entertainer in the world in 2022 at $175 million, Forbes reported.
He joined the seven-figure ranks of Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas, John de Mol, and Steven Spielberg in September 2020, and his net worth remains at $1 billion as of January 2024, according to his Forbes profile.
His income streams include his cash and investments, his stake in the video-on-demand service BET+, and his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hopefully, this article was able to provide you with all the necessary information about Tyler Perry age, wife, children and net worth.
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