Tyler Perry graces the cover of Ebony’s August Black Wealth issue, and the Madea film star not only lets fans into his piggy bank (reportedly worth $350 million), but also behind the velvet ropes of his personal life as he reveals details about his past sexual abuse, ending his feud with fellow filmmaker Spike Lee and how he almost became a father.
According to Concrete Loop, when speaking of his sexual abuse, Perry reveals that he waited until after his mother, Willie Maxine Perry, passed last year to share his painful story with talk show mogul Oprah Winfrey and the world in October 2010.
“When my mother took her last breath, I was able to take my first because I would not be a source of pain for her as long as she was alive,” he said. I didn’t know how liberating it would be to sit in the pain of the moment, feel it, allow myself to squeeze it as hard as I could, then let it go.”
Perry also discussed his high-profile feud with fellow filmmaker Spike Lee and explained that despite their heated past (Perry once remarked that Lee
could “go straight to hell!), he now wants to make peace with Lee and refuses to publicly criticize him anymore.
“Because I saw his children and forgot that the man has kids,” he said. “I’m gonna be more respectful of him and his family. I believe Spike can do what he does and I can do what I do. We both have a voice and very different experiences in life. There’s room for more than one of us in every industry, and the moment we embrace that as a society, we can get past all this stuff.”
Delving even deeper into filmmaker’s world, Perry, who’s been notoriously mum about his romantic life, quietly reveals that he is indeed in a long-term relationship. Perry also shares his desire to have children one day and reveals that last year his wish almost came true, much to his shock and worry.
“Back in December, when we thought we were having a kid, I got overwhelmed,” shared Perry, adding about his current girlfriend, “She is really, really special. It’s the longest relationship I’ve been in, largely because I don’t feel any kind of marry-me-now pressure from her.”
While Perry’s financial worth is more than enough to inspire anyone to work for the big payday, what’s even more inspirational is his journey to learn from his painful past and turn his drama into joy. –nicholas robinson
