Tyler Perry is a famed film director who achieved a great milestone last year when he opened a film lot in Atlanta dubbed the Tyler Perry Studios. The 300-acres property was built by slaves and was formerly a Confederate army base but now serves as a home for Black films to be made with 12 soundstages named after great Black successors. Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Sydney Poitier, Della Reese, Spike Lee, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Whoopi Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, and Will Smith all have a lot named after them.
Tyler made his Netflix debut today (January 17th) when his film A Fall From Grace hit the platform and during his red carpet appearance he discussed past remarks made about his movies and denied exploiting women. “I’m always trying to send a message that you don’t have to deal with this s–t," Tyler said, detailing how the usual plotline is a reflection of the abuse his mother suffered by his father.
He added: “It’s not about making money off of a woman’s pain — it is about telling a story. And I wish that people, especially black women, would get off the fact of saying, ‘Oh, he’s making money off of black women.’”