Tyler Perry's abusive childhood
The actor-director-producer's 'horrific' revelations about the 'hardships' he endured as a kid
Tyler Perry at a screening of 'Precious'
(Walter McBride/Retna Ltd./Corbis)
"There's nothing funny about Tyler Perry's latest work," said Michael Y. Park in People. After watching a screening of Precious, the "lauded" new movie he produced with Oprah Winfrey about "a 16-year-old girl who is physically and emotionally abused," Perry took to his website to reveal the beatings and other "horrific abuse he suffered as a child."
This is the "boldest, bravest act of his career," said Mary Elizabeth Williams in Salon. Perry is "easily the most famous man to talk about being molested, and he's forthright about being abused by both a male and a female." Perry's "brutal, heartbreaking" memories include "more pain than any child should ever endure," and the response on his "message board was immediate and overwhelming."
"Perry's memories are horrific," said Amelie Gillette in The Onion's A.V. Club, "and I don't doubt his claims of childhood abuse." But it's baffling that Perry could suffer such abuse and still make a film like Madea's Family Reunion—"in part, a movie about how an old spinster woman hilariously beats some sense and discipline into a foster child." Is there a "funny kind" of child abuse?
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17 Comments
Posted by TomTammy, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 1:47 pm Why do people have such a HUGE need to tell us every little sorted detail of their sorted lives? Tyler, we do not want to hear it. Write your scripts. Put whatever you have into it, but leave us alone when it come to your real life. It adds NOTHING to our lives and nothing to your life. WHO CARES? Lots of us have been abused. Get over it. We did, and didn't hve to tell Harpo about it. Leave us and your memories alone.
Posted by holland, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 2:27 pm TOMTAMMY you are such a jack ass, i'm not one for bashing someone i don't know but you are really just a flat out jackass. i mean really... what gives you the right to to tell someone not to share their life stories? if sharing helps him to over come then let the man share. but for heaven sakes why don't you just watch the movies and leave your negative commentary out of it.
Posted by Vanvon, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 2:28 pm TomTammy do you mean to say sordid?
Posted by DEBONE, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 4:11 pm TYLER PERRY IS A GOOD ACTOR AND A GOOD PERSON TO BE AROUND
Posted by Lady in LA, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 4:14 pm I read Tyler Perry's comments ... Bravo. Sounds like Tyler Perry's experiences struck a nerve with TomTammy ... but you always have the right not to read or listen to something you don't want to. But the truth is, many have been helped in the past by a person of note being willing to talk publicly about painful experiences. For whatever reason, it helps bring awareness, gives some the courage to deal with their own burdens, inspires others, and overall tends to move the needle forward on solving problems on a societal level. Again, Bravo.
Posted by Ariel, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 7:04 pm As someone who, like TomTammy, has been abused, and it is obvious that one of them was abused, I do not need to hear some famous person spill his guts. That is not insensitive, but reality. If anyone not so famous told you about his sad life, you would yawn and say Get A Life and Get Over It. I know. Been there. Done that. Get over it and move on, Tyler. My shink asked me, what do you expect to accomplish by rehashing and reliving? Move on and enjoy life. Do not let the past dictate your future. Good advice to all of you. Learn tolerance, too
Posted by Kevin, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 7:09 pm Holland, for someone who doesn't want to bash a stranger, you hit it out of the park, dude. What gives you the right to tell TomTammy NOT to give an opinion? Are you not doing the same thing to him or her? Calm down, dude, or dudette. Leave your negative thoughts and commentary at the door, too. Chill out.
Posted by Stunt, Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 7:46 pm Turning childhood trauma into a stunt to increase ticket sales at the boxoffice is disgusting. TomTammy and Ariel have it right, shut up and move on Tyler Perry. I for one will not support your simpering and no doubt exaggerated story. If it really affected you, why wait until you have a movie about abuse to talk about your abuse? Pathetic.
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