Tyler Perry appeared on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast this week and of course Kelly asked him about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Tyler only began talking about the Sussexes in interviews after they gave him the okay, and Tyler obviously appeared in their Netflix docuseries as well. I still get emotional thinking about how Tyler saved their lives – he gave them a safe place to live and security after Harry’s family cut them off financially and pulled their security (as a way to “bring them to heel” and/or put the Sussexes in mortal danger). Because of Tyler’s help, the Sussexes were able to stay alive and figure out their next moves. The Sussexes also asked Tyler to be Lili’s godfather, and he loves every minute of that. He’s already spoiling his ginger goddaughter! Tyler talked about all of that with Kelly:
Tyler Perry recalled the beginning stages of his friendship with Meghan Markle when she and Prince Harry reached out for guidance following their exit as senior members of the British royal family in January 2020.
“I sent them a note … and just said, ‘If you ever need anything, I’m here,’ and she called months later and just talked to me like I was a therapist you talk to and we just had a great conversation,” he told Kelly Ripa on Wednesday’s episode of her “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast.
“It is very important for people in this business to have a safe place to land, to have a place where they can trust and talk freely and get advice that’s not going to be biased or from somebody who wants something from them,” he added. Speaking more about what urged him to reach out in the first place, Perry said he “got the tremendous sense” that Markle’s journey in and out of royal life was “overwhelming” and wanted to be there for her and Harry.
After developing a friendship, the “Madea” creator eventually welcomed the “Suits” alum, 42, and Harry, 39, into his $18 million Beverly Hills abode.
“They hid out at my house for a long time. It was so great,” he enthusiastically noted. “Every day. Every day that they were there, I looked to see if anything’s happening online. Nothing. They don’t even know, so weeks and weeks they were there,” he recalled of the paparazzi’s lack of knowledge of the couple’s whereabouts.“They were so happy. It was such a beautiful moment.”
The “Sistas” writer, director and producer, 54, revealed during his chat with Ripa that he calls his royal goddaughter “Little Lili.”
“Oh, she’s so beautiful. She’s just so beautiful,” he gushed. “They make beautiful babies — that’s all I’ll say. They make some beautiful kids. Archie and Lili are beautiful.”
“It is very important for people in this business to have a safe place to land, to have a place where they can trust and talk freely and get advice that’s not going to be biased or from somebody who wants something from them.” It’s true and that kind of mentorship and advisory role is hard to come by for most people. It’s more than possible that Tyler has shown this kind of generosity to other people and we just haven’t heard about it because they’re not Harry and Meghan. Something else I think about a lot is how Harry’s world in the UK was not only centered around punishment and sadism, it was always transactional too. The fact that someone – a Black American man – simply helped Harry and Meghan without wanting anything in return, without the generosity coming with a price tag, punishment or guilt trip, must have been shocking to Harry.
“She’s so adorable. Aww she’s so beautiful. She’s just so beautiful. Yeah they [Harry & Meghan] make some beautiful babies,that’s all I’ll say. They make some beautiful kids. Archie & Lili are beautiful.” -Tyler Perry on his relationship w/ the Sussexes
🎧https://t.co/sXRSkYx0Dq pic.twitter.com/8oicpebj1L
— R.S. Locke / Royal Suitor (@royal_suitor) November 15, 2023
Photos courtesy of Netflix, Avalon Red.
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – DECEMBER 05: Actor Tyler Perry arrives at the World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 5, 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 646576532, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Tyler Perry, Credit line: Jordan Hinton / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Tyler Perry during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515573, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – SEPTEMBER 16: Tyler Perry arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ held at the Netflix Tudum Theater on September 16, 2022 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 723524475, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Tyler Perry, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
I’m just so glad they have him in their lives. I imagine after the trauma Meghan experienced in the UK, ending up in a safe space thanks to him was probably something we can’t even fully imagine. He gave them a safe space to breathe.
I have some quibbles with Tyler Perry but you’re absolutely right, him protecting Harry and Meghan and Archie, people he did not know THAT well, at his own ongoing expense, because he could is just about the best gift I can fathom.
Tyler is their hero. He was so kind to help them. I know he helps a lot of people if he can and he does it because he can and because it’s the right thing to do. We need more Tyler’s!
I like to think Diana sent Tyler to them. His mother was abused so he recognized the signs. His mother also loved Diana. So his thought process was probably, if she was alive, she would have told them to help Diana’s baby boy and grandson.
About the transactional nature of relationships that Harry was used to:
In Spare, Harry says that he was shocked by Tyler’s generosity, the unconditional and immediate giving of it. He asked Tyler why he was being so nice to two total strangers and Tyler had said it was bc of Diana. Tyler loved his mom, and his mom loved Diana. Diana’s visit to Harlem and work with AIDS babies resonated deeply.
So yeah, when Harry says he felt Diana watching out for him and guiding him out into this new life, he’s kind of got a point.
I think in the Oprah interview Harry said something like “I’m not into ‘woo woo'” but yeah it does seem like Diana has spoken through Harry and been with him all along.
It goes even further than that. As Harry describes in his book, he first saw Meg on his friend’s Snapchat, on July 1, 2016, Diana’s 55th birthday. Plus, as we know, Meg was 36 on her wedding day. Diana was 36 when she was killed. There was the woo-woo incident with Archie being unusually attracted to a large painting in Tyler’s home, which they all later discovered was a painting of the mythological Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, whose name “is akin to daylight.” As well, the very mysterious incident involving the Christmas tree ornament. 😳
In Spare, Harry also shares that he and Meg visited his mother’s island resting place to pray for strength and guidance.
The fact that this so called priveledged white Prince in his 30s had no real back up plan or nest egg he could easily access is the frightening part. And this is the son of the future King,no wonder those lower royals kiss major ass,their lives literally depend on it. Its a sickening world for an adult to respectfuly navigate.
💯
That’s why the courtiers didn’t want half-in. If H&M were making their own money one element of their control is gone.
I think too many people missed that point 🙄😏 that was everything for me.
I think people are just willfully obtuse sometimes, or they’ve just heard something so many times its just accepted as true. For example how many times has it been said that harry received an inheritance from the queen mother, even though his spokesperson has flat out denied it? And every time someone mentions the inheritance from his mother the amount changes – 10 million, 20 million, 30 million.
So people are able to use those non-facts to justify feeling that “Harry had options.” And the truth was he had very few options.
Tyler Perry is truly a humanitarian and has a heart as big as the moon. 💕
And Charles doesn’t even bother to visit his beautiful grandbabies. He has no heart.
Those kids will probably be teens before we see clear pics of them, as it should be with high profile families, protecting children too young to consent to the use of their images, but how could Harry & Meghan not have beautiful children?
I’ve always believe that things happen for a reason-Tyler reaching out to M(even though they haven’t met) and M asking for his help later on-they definitely have guardian angels looking from up above. I think even for some of us as a Gen Xer we’re also protective of Gen Zers.
I could definitely believe HM make beautiful babies – with Hs and Ms diverse genetic makeups – the children are beautiful.
I like Harry as much as the next person, but that man does not possess a diverse genetic makeup.
I meant to say HMs kids have a genetic makeup that’s diverse 🙂. Which is a lot of Gen A these days.
Agree H himself most likely doesn’t possess diverse genes.
Harry and Meghan are Millennials. But I get your point.
There’s a bit of a cross over with Gen X and Millenials, they’re our younger siblings a lot of the times. I’m born at the tail end of Gen X and my brother is at the top of the Millenials. So there is a bit of a protective feeling toward them (when they’re not annoying the F out of us at any rate j/k). Gen Z are the kids of Gen X so watch out there!
No exaggeration, Tyler really saved their lives.
Tyler has a heart of gold, despite the questionable messages of his movies.
He also supported Janet Jackson after the death of Michael.
There must be more than just one reason that made the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hand out the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for “outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes” to him.
Thank heavens for Tyler Perry. He’s more of a grandfather to Lili and Archie than Charles will ever be, or could ever be.
Tyler, as a Brit I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for Harry and meghan. The fact that you shouldn’t have needed to, if his family hadn’t been such disgusting, vile human beings is neither here or there. You did it with an open heart, and THAT makes you a giant among men
Chucky and wank could take a master class from Tyler on how to act and behave and become a real man . How to be a proper decent father, friend, brother, grandfather, humanitarian and a human being. And most importantly, an all around completely good person. May blessings to Tyler never stop .