Tyler Perry Talks New Projects, Slowing Down, Family, More
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Tyler Perry has long been synonymous with Atlanta, the home base of his entertainment empire, but the movie and television mogul says he is about to make a big move after turning 57 years old.
Perry spoke with TODAY special correspondent Justin Sylvester on Sept. 14 about making a change as he reevaluates his priorities.
“Yes, I am officially — you’re the first to hear this — I am officially moving to Puerto Rico,” Perry said. “No, this is real.”
Perry, who is the father of an 11-year-old son with ex Gelila Bekele, expects to relocate to the U.S. territory in 2027.
“Yep, moving to Puerto Rico at the top of the year, and I’m pulling back a whole lot,” he told Sylvester.
Sylvester asked him what prompted the change.
“Oh, getting older,” Perry, who turned 57 on Sept. 13, said. “It’s time to slow down a little bit, enjoy more time with my son, and just take it all in.”
He said spending more time with his son Aman has also helped him with issues related to his own childhood trauma.
“Having this opportunity and this moment to be a father and give him all the love that I never had has been really, really healing,” Perry said.
Perry’s relationship with his son and his childhood trauma are examined in the 2023 documentary “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” which was co-directed by Bekele.
In the film, a then-8-year-old Aman asks his father why he works so hard.
“Why do I work so hard?” Perry responds. “Because I want you to have a really good future and I want us to have a really good life. We can travel and have fun and help other people. So, don’t you think that’s a good idea?”
“You’re my hero,” Aman answers.
“Aw, you’re my hero!” Perry replied. “I love you.”
In 2020, Perry confirmed he and Bekele had split after a long term relationship but called her an “incredible mother” in a 2022 interview with AARP the Magazine.
Perry has tried to keep his son out of the limelight.
“My son’s not famous,” he told AARP the Magazine. “I want him to have as normal a life as he can. “I want him to know what it’s like to have his own name and his own life and not have the pressure of trying to live up to whatever or whoever your father was.”
Before Perry gets to his move to Puerto Rico, the man with more than two dozen feature films and 17 television shows to his name is still as hard working as ever. He spoke to Sylvester about his new movie, “Why Did I Get Married Again?” which began streaming on Netflix on Sept. 9.
It’s the third installment of a trilogy that began in 2007 about a group of friends who are now in their 50s. The film series also helped Perry reach a conclusion in his own life, as his age mirrors those of the characters.
“When I wrote the first one I thought, ‘You know, marriage might be a good idea at some point,’” Perry said. “But at this age, I’m like, ‘No, that’s not a good idea for me.’ So, no. Won’t be any marriage for me.”
