Tyler Perry Reveals Child Abuse Past

October 2009


There's nothing funny about Tyler Perry's latest work: a revealing account of the horrific abuse he suffered as a child.

"I always thought I would die before I grew up," the comedian writes in an uncharacteristically somber letter to fans on his Web site.

After watching a screening of the lauded movie Precious, which he executive produced with Oprah Winfrey, about a 16-year-old girl who is physically and emotionally abused, the New Orleans native, 40, best known for his comic Madea character, reveals a flood of memories came back, and that "a large part of my childhood had just played out before my eyes."

Beginning with his mother's failed attempt to leave his abusive father, Perry recounts a horrific list of beatings and hardships he suffered.

"My father came home, mad at the world," he writes. "He was drunk, as he was most of the time. He got the vacuum cleaner extension cord and trapped me in a room and beat me until the skin was coming off my back."

Perry goes on to relate accounts of being seduced by a friend's mother at age 10, to being molested by another friend's father, to finding out that his own father was molesting a friend. And he tells of how his grandmother made a bizarre attempt to rid him of his allergies.

"She said she was going to kill these germs on me once and for all," he says. "She gave me a bath in ammonia."

But seeing Precious, he said, helped him realize once again that he had survived it all.

"It hit me so hard, I sat there in tears realizing that somehow, by the grace of God, I made it through," writes Perry, who signed on as an executive producer on the film. "My tears were tears of joy, being thankful that I made it."

And the most important lesson of all? Learning to forgive, he says.

"I know that there are a lot of people out there with stories far worse than mine but you, too, can make it. To those of you who have, welcome to life. I celebrate you," he said. "We're all PRECIOUS in His sight."



http://www.people.com/peo...38,00.html

Patterns of abuse often reveal themselves as folks grow older and manifest the abuse themselves.


Tyler was abused, and in return, he's abusing the movie going audience.




















ok, I know I shouldn't have gone there. Sorry.

C:\Otaassk~.exe




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Well, damn.

this isn't news, didn't he already reveal this a few years ago?

Imago said:

@ imago's comment

You owe me $5. I caught the big fish....again

He's touched on the subject of child abuse in "I Can Do Bad", "Family Reunion", and"Daddy's Little Girls", and being that his flims/plays/tv shows seem very personal anyone think that maybe he was leading up to this next project?
[Edited 10/6/09 10:11am]

I knew he was abused but dayum...sounds like his whole family was fucked up. I hope he didn't carry that psychosis with him and abuse anybody in return. Abusers put up good fronts when in public.

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

DesireeNevermind said:

I knew he was abused but dayum...sounds like his whole family was fucked up. I hope he didn't carry that psychosis with him and abuse anybody in return. Abusers put up good fronts when in public.

Imago said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

DesireeNevermind said:

I knew he was abused but dayum...sounds like his whole family was fucked up. I hope he didn't carry that psychosis with him and abuse anybody in return. Abusers put up good fronts when in public.

some do, some go on to do great things! Like dress in grandma drag

You don't need directions and you don't need cash. From your Jimmy Choos to your Ultralash. ~ Prince
And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that Love survives so we can rock FOREVER. ~ RIP MJ

Statuesqque said:

this isn't news, didn't he already reveal this a few years ago?

diamondpearl1 said:

Imago said:

DesireeNevermind said:

I knew he was abused but dayum...sounds like his whole family was fucked up. I hope he didn't carry that psychosis with him and abuse anybody in return. Abusers put up good fronts when in public.

Ottensen said:

Imago said:

Patterns of abuse often reveal themselves as folks grow older and manifest the abuse themselves.


Tyler was abused, and in return, he's abusing the movie going audience.


ok, I know I shouldn't have gone there. Sorry.

disappointed in having just witnessed that, kiddo

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!

Is he still in the closet?

GirlBrother said:

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!

I've always assumed Mr. Perry was gay but since he says otherwise than I'm going to take him at his word.

Funny thing, I've always assumed the late actor Tony Randall was gay and the late actor Rock Hudson was straight. Assumptions aren't a good thing....



=====
[Edited 10/6/09 14:52pm]

Imago said:

GirlBrother said:

Is he still in the closet?

WTF?

He's gay?

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

Harlepolis said:

Imago said:

WTF?

He's gay?

Like my grandma's kaleidoscope purse...

You don't need directions and you don't need cash. From your Jimmy Choos to your Ultralash. ~ Prince
And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that Love survives so we can rock FOREVER. ~ RIP MJ

SCNDLS said:

Harlepolis said:

Like my grandma's kaleidoscope purse...

[Edited 10/6/09 15:41pm]

Love is just like the faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it's on baby
It has turned off and gone


Lady Day

SCNDLS said:

Harlepolis said:

Like my grandma's kaleidoscope purse...

[Edited 10/6/09 15:41pm]

Dayclear said:

Statuesqque said:

this isn't news, didn't he already reveal this a few years ago?

Yes. He and a lot of other folks in Hollywood. He forgave and moved on. Now he's a Billionaire. Good for him.

GirlBrother said:

SCNDLS said:

Gay?

I thought this chick, Gelila Bekele, was his ladylove.

Copycat said:

Gay?

I thought this chick, Gelila Bekele, was his ladylove.

You don't need directions and you don't need cash. From your Jimmy Choos to your Ultralash. ~ Prince
And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that Love survives so we can rock FOREVER. ~ RIP MJ

SCNDLS said:

Harlepolis said:

Like my grandma's kaleidoscope purse...

[Edited 10/6/09 15:41pm]

Harlepolis said:

Imago said:

WTF?

He's gay?

Like my grandma's kaleidoscope purse...

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!