Earlier this week, Tyler Perry sat down with Keke Palmer on her podcast Baby, This is Keke Palmer. Shortly after, a few of his comments went viral. At one point in the episode, Perry addressed criticism, alluding to claims that his films consistently portray Black women in distress. According to him, critics have no right to determine what kinds of stories he decides to tell through his movies, and shouldn't dismiss them as less important than others.
“A large portion of my fans are disenfranchised. Who cannot get in the Volvo and go to therapy on the weekend," he explained. "You’ve got this highbrow negro who is all up in the air with his nose up looking at everything... Don’t discount these people and say their stories don’t matter. Who are you to be able to say which Black story is important, or should be told? Get out of here with that bullsh*t.”
Keke Palmer Stands Up For Tyler Perry
Perry earned a great deal of backlash for his remarks, including misogyny accusations and more. Now, Palmer has come to his defense on X, arguing that critics are directing their anger at the wrong entity. "The enemy isn’t Tyler it’s the system that makes it hard for multiple black artist to shine at one time," she began. "Oppression turns you against the person that gets the shine opposed to questioning why there can only be so few at a time. Tyler is not the gatekeeper of all black stories he’s just one creative who broke through the system. Advocating for others to do the same is the fight, not hating Tyler for his work that many do love."
In a subsequent Tweet, Palmer also noted how Perry has employed many Black people, and urged followers not to "blame his movies for oppression." What do you think of Keke Palmer coming to Tyler Perry's defense amid backlash for his response to criticism? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.