Tyler Perry Height, Age, Girlfriend, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name	Emmitt Perry Jr.
Profession(s)	• Actor • Filmmaker • Playwright
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 11" (180 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Play (as Writer, Director, Actor): I Know I've Been Changed (1998) (Role: Joe) Film (as Writer, Producer, Actor): Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) (Roles: Mabel Simmons, Joe Simmons, and Brian Simmons) Film (as Director): Madea's Family Reunion (2006) TV (as Director, Writer, Producer, Actor): Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2006) (Role: Madea)
Awards, Honours	2005: Outstanding Writing for Theatrical Film and Outstanding Actor in a Theatrical Film awards for 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' at BET Comedy Awards 2005: Worst Supporting Actor award for 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' at the 28th Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 2009: Best Cast award for the film 'Star Trek' at the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) Awards 2011: Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Motion Picture awards for the film 'For Colored Girls,' and Outstanding Comedy Series award for 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne' at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards 2014: Best Supporting Actor award for the film 'Gone Girl' at the African-American Film Critics Association Awards 2014: Worst Actress award for the film 'A Madea Christmas' at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards 2018: Worst Actress award for the film 'Boo 2! A Madea Halloween' at the 38th Golden Raspberry Awards 2019: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1 October) 2019: Ultimate Icon Award at the 19th BET Awards 2020: Governors Award at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards in recognition of his work and The Perry Foundation's impact on TV, and their work for inclusion, jobs, and community support 2021: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 93rd Academy Awards 2025: Outstanding Motion Picture award for the film 'The Six Triple Eight' at the 56th NAACP Image Awards
Personal Life
Date of Birth	13 September 1969 (Saturday)
Age (as of 2025)	56 Years
Birthplace	New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Zodiac sign	Virgo
Signature
Nationality	American
Hometown	New Orleans
School	Cohen College Prep High School, New Orleans
Educational Qualification	General Educational Development (GED)
Religion	Christianity
Controversies	The Writers' Union Dispute: In 2008, Tyler Perry faced backlash when four writers from his television show 'House of Payne' were fired after they tried to get better pay, benefits like health insurance, and long-term support through a writers' union. These writers, Kellie Griffin, Christopher Moore, Teri Brown-Jackson, and Lamont Ferrell, had worked on over 100 episodes of the show and wanted a fair contract, like other crew members already had. Instead of agreeing, Perry's company, House of Payne, LLC (part of Tyler Perry Studios), dismissed them just before the grand opening of his new studio. On 2 October 2008, the Writers Guild of America, West (a group that supports and protects writers' rights) filed a complaint with a federal board, accusing the company of unfair treatment and punishing the writers for standing up for themselves. The writers and their supporters protested outside the studio's opening on 4 and 5 October. The matter was, however, settled a month later when Tyler Perry Studios agreed to sign the union contract and officially work with the Writers' Guild. [1]Deadline Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit: In June 2025, Tyler Perry faced backlash after actor Derek Dixon filed a $260 million lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of power. Dixon, who acted in Perry's shows 'Ruthless' and 'The Oval,' claimed they first met in 2019 and discussed his career. He alleged that Perry later made repeated sexual advances, which he rejected, and suggested his role would only continue if he kept Perry "happy." The lawsuit described several incidents between 2021 and 2023, including one where Perry allegedly pinned him to a wall and touched him inappropriately. In 2024, Dixon filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), but no action was taken, which led him to leave 'The Oval' and decline a writing job offered by Perry. Dixon accused Perry of using his influence to exploit vulnerable actors. Perry's lawyer, however, denied all allegations and called the lawsuit a scam for money. [2]BBC
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • Twitter • Official Website
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends	• Tyra Banks (model, television personality) (2006) (rumoured) • Gelila Bekele (filmmaker) (2007-2020) • Tasha Smith (actor, director) (rumoured) • Crystal Renee Hayslett (actor, producer) (2023) (rumoured)
Family
Children	Son- Aman Tyler Perry (born on 30 November 2014) (from ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele) Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Emmitt Perry, Sr. (carpenter) Mother- Willie Maxine Perry (preschool teacher) (deceased)
Siblings	Brother- 1 • Emmbre Perry (younger) Sister- 2 • Yulanda Wilkins (elder) • Melva Porter (elder)
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Bentley Bentayga • Cadillac Escalade • Rolls-Royce Wraith • Rolls-Royce Cullinan • Land Rover Range Rover • Bentley Continental GT
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	• Avec Chateau, Fairborn, Georgia (bought in April 2001 for $62,661) (listed in 2009 for $3.69 million) • A Tuscan-style villa, Beverly Ridge Estates, LA (bought in 2004 for $4.3 million) • A Versailles-style estate, Chattahoochee River, Atlanta (bought in 2005 for $9 million) (sold in 2016 for $17.5 million to actor David Turner) • A land in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (bought in 2005; built a log cabin for vacations) • White Bay Cay and adjacent island, Bahamas (bought in 2009 for $7 million to celebrate 40th birthday) • Tyler Perry Studios, Fort McPherson, Atlanta (bought in 2015) • A glass mansion, Beverly Hills, LA (bought in 2017 for $14.5 million) (sold in May 2018 for $15.6 million to singer Pharrell Williams) • 1,200-acre estate and mega-mansion, Atlanta (bought by 2018; estimated $100 million project)
Net Worth (approx.)	$1.4 billion (as of 2025)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Tyler Perry

• Tyler Perry grew up in an economically challenged household in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
  

  A childhood picture of Tyler Perry

• Perry had a traumatic childhood, which he has often described as a “living hell.” His father, Emmitt Perry, Sr., was abusive and dealt with every situation with violence and beatings.

• His father used to beat him so much that one day his aunt pointed a gun at his father and told his mother never to leave Tyler alone with him. After that, he started going everywhere with his mom. The church was the only place where Tyler felt safe.

• Perry was abused by three men and a woman at 10. He stayed silent for years, which caused a lot of anger and pain as he grew up. Later, after watching The Oprah Winfrey Show, he began writing as a way to deal with his feelings and slowly began to heal.

• At 16, he changed his name from ‘Emmitt’ to ‘Tyler’ as he did not want to have any ties to his father.
  

  Tyler Perry in the ’80s

• During an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Perry shared that he tried to take his own life twice, once when he was about 12 years old, and again at the age of 22.

• In 1990, Tyler moved from New Orleans to Atlanta. In 1992, he spent his $12,000 savings, earned from doing jobs like selling cars and collecting bills, to produce his first play, ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed,’ at a local theatre.

• He drew inspiration for his first play from the letters he had started writing to cope with the anger and pain caused by childhood abuse.

• Perry spent six years rewriting the play ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed’ after early poor reviews. In 1998, he successfully restaged it in Atlanta.

• He later toured with more plays across performance venues known as the ‘Chitlin’ Circuit, which mainly featured African-American artists, helping him build a devoted Black audience.

• In 2005, Forbes reported that Perry had earned over $100 million from selling play tickets, $30 million from videos of his shows, and around $20 million from merchandise. At that time, he was staging about 300 live plays a year, drawing about 35,000 people each week.

• Perry used money from his stage play ticket sales to raise a $5.5 million budget for his debut film, ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman’ (2005). While critics gave it a low 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was a commercial success, making $50.6 million in the U.S.
  

  Tyler Perry and Kimberly Elise in a gif from the film ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman’ (2005)

• Tyler made his directorial debut with the film ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’ (2006), which earned $30.3 million in its opening weekend and went on to make $65 million overall.
  

  Tyler Perry as ‘Madea’ in the film ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’ (2006)

• In 2007, he worked as a writer, director, and producer for the film ‘Daddy’s Little Girls.’
  

  A poster of the film ‘Daddy’s Little Girls’ (2007)

• Tyler Perry was once romantically linked to actress Tasha Smith, who starred in several of his films, including Why Did I Get Married? and Daddy’s Little Girls. While the rumours drew public interest, neither of them ever confirmed the relationship.

• In 2006, Tyler Perry was rumoured to be dating model and television host Tyra Banks after the two were seen having dinner together. However, representatives for both denied any romantic relationship.

• Tyler met filmmaker Gelila Bekele at musician Prince’s concert in 2007. They gradually fell in love and began dating. In 2014, they welcomed their son, Aman. The duo, however, parted ways in 2020 but did not mention the reason for their split ever.

• Perry has written, produced, and directed several other films, including ‘Meet the Browns’ (2008), ‘The Single Moms Club’ (2014), ‘Acrimony’ (2018), and ‘Straw’ (2025).
  

  A poster of the film ‘Meet the Browns’ (2008)

• Perry directed, wrote, and produced all Madea films series, including ‘Madea Goes to Jail’ (2009), ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family’ (2011), ‘A Madea Christmas’ (2013), and ‘Madea’s Destination Wedding’ (2025). He also acted in them.
  

• He has also worked as a director, writer, and producer for television series, such as TBS’s ‘Meet the Browns’ (2009-2011), TLC’s ‘Too Close to Home’ (2016-2017), and BET’s ‘The Oval’ (2019).
  

  A poster of the television series ‘The Oval’ (2019)

• In early 2009, Tyler threatened to sue a tax company called Mo’ Money Taxes for airing a television ad that he felt mocked the character ‘Madea’ from his film ‘Madea Goes to Jail.’ The company soon took the advertisement off the air.

• After his mother died in 2009, Perry took a DNA test and found out Emmitt Perry, Sr., was not his real father.

• On 2 October 2012, Perry signed a multi-year deal with Oprah Winfrey and her ‘Oprah Winfrey Network’ (OWN). In collaboration, he worked as a writer, director, and producer on series like ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ (2013–2017) and ‘The Paynes’ (2018).
  

  A poster of the series ‘The Paynes’ (2018)

• Tyler Perry has worked as an executive producer for films like ‘Nobody’s Fool’ (2018) and ‘A Fall from Grace’ (2020).
  

  A poster of the film ‘A Fall from Grace’ (2020)

• In 2023, Tyler Perry was rumoured to be in a relationship with actress Crystal Hayslett. The rumours were later denied by actor Devale Ellis, who confirmed in an interview that they were just friends.

• Tyler is a fitness enthusiast and often hits the gym.
  

  Tyler Perry, during a workout session at a gym

• He is an avid traveller and often shares his travel experiences on social media.
  

  A picture of Tyler Perry from one of his vacations

• He is adventurous and enjoys engaging in activities like jet skiing.
  

  Tyler Perry, while posing with his jet ski