The Sad Truth About Tyler Perry’s Life Story

Emmitt Perry Jr.’s childhood was so tough, he changed his name to Tyler Perry to distance himself from his father. He was taken advantage of for most of his life, but he has never let his past dictate his future.

Here’s the sad truth about Tyler Perry’s life.

Growing up ‘in hell’ 

Before he brought laughter to our lives as the character Madea, Tyler Perry grew up in New Orleans with a dad named Emmit Perry Sr. who was very physical with him. He told Oprah Winfrey his child was like “living in hell” because had to endure beatings, shouting, and a lot of name-calling.

He would constantly his imagination to escape his childhood by visualizing himself running and playing in a park. Tyler said as a child, he would escape to that same park every time someone mistreated him.

His mother Willie Maxine Perry was also mistreated by his father, and she tried to leave him several times. One day, she packed up Tyler and his three siblings in their Cadillac and drove to California, but when Tyler’s dad reported the car stolen, his mom was pulled over and locked up. Tyler’s dad and uncle picked them all up from California and drove them back to Louisiana. Tyler said his dad physically assaulted his mom the entire ride home.

A traumatizing incident 

One particular incident with his father involved a vacuum cord, resulting in five welts on Tyler’s body. When his dad fell asleep, Tyler ran to his Aunt Jerry’s house. From that day forward, his aunt took him everywhere and never left his side.

Danger outside of the home 

As a kid, things weren’t any better outside of the home. He was taken advantage of on several different occasions by both men and women. Those incidents left him confused and angry, but he was able to find an outlet.

Letters transformed his life 

In 1991, he was watching Oprah Winfrey on TV and heard the talk show host say that writing things down can be cathartic. So Tyler put pen to paper and filled a journal with letters to himself. These letters later turned into his first play, “I Know I’ve Been Changed.” The script was the start of his career, but the road to success wouldn’t be easy.

Going broke 

He used all twelve thousand dollars of his life savings to fund “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” and only 30 people showed up on opening night. From 1992 until 1998, every show he put on flopped, and he began running out of money.

He worked a series of odd jobs to fund his projects, and when his money would run short and he couldn’t pay rent, he would live on the streets. He even slept in his car for three months and spent some time in homeless shelters. His mom begged him to get a steady job, but he refused to give up on his dream.

His whole life changed 

His luck finally changed in 2005 when he partnered with Lionsgate to produce Diary of a Mad Black Woman. He has made several films with the studio since then and has generated over one billion dollars in ticket sales.

After having so many doors shut on him in the entertainment industry, he opened his own movie studio in 2008. Situated south of Downtown Atlanta, It sprawls across 330 acres. He later acquired Fort McPherson US Army base for $35 million dollars to use as a production studio.

Tyler Perry Studios not only serves as the backdrop for many of his films, but it also employs so many people in Atlanta.

Developing a drinking habit 

In 2009, Tyler’s mom, Willie Maxine Perry (pictured above) fell ill. He told Essence magazine he began drinking every night to help him fall asleep. After his mom passed away in December 2009, he continued his nightly ritual of drinking a big glass of Hennessy before bedtime. It wasn’t until President Barack Obama visited his studio that he decided to kick his habit.

The day after Obama’s visit, Perry was finally able to go to sleep without drinking liquor.

A secret revealed 

After his mom passed away, Perry found out Emmit Sr. wasn’t his biological dad. Things started to make so much sense to Tyler, and he said he finally understood why his dad hated him so much. But Tyler was ready to walk the path of forgiveness, according to an interview with People magazine.

He now sends his father a check every month, and he allows him to live in a beautiful mansion in Louisiana. But it doesn’t appear that his daddy is still stuck in his old ways. After Tyler began opening up about his life story, Emmit Sr. sent a message to him through Tyler’s brother. The message said: “If I had beat your a*s one more time, you probably would have been Barack Obama.”

A true success story 

Tyler’s living the life he always dreamed of. As of 2019, his net worth is an approximate $600 million dollars, and he’s the father to a boy named Aman Perry, whom he shares with his longtime girlfriend, Gelila Bekele.

Tyler’s life story is all about forgiveness and perseverance. He’s proof that with hard work and determination, the sky’s the limit.

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