Tyler Perry has opened up about firing his aunt and the tough decision to cut off his family financially.
Appearing on Kirk Franklin’s new YouTube series, King of Dens, the actor and filmmaker — whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $1.4 billion — discussed the fine line between offering family financial support and simply giving handouts.
“I fired my aunt,” Perry, 55, said matter-of-factly, leaving the other guests, Derrick Hayes and Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins, stunned.
The Madea star explained how he offered his aunt, who “always called asking for money,” a job.
“I was sending the money,” he recalled, “and I was like, ‘Look, I wanna help you, and I want to help you build this thing, not be welfare to you. So let me give you a job.’”
But she “wasn’t coming in; calling in all the time,” he said, which ultimately prompted him to give her the boot.
“Well, you gotta go. Because you want me to hand you the money, but you don’t wanna work for it. See that doesn’t work for me,” Perry added. “And it’s the same with my son. Like he’s 10 years old, there are certain things that he wants; he has to do chores and work for it. I don’t believe in giving us things that are just gonna handicap us.
“That is the worst thing you can do,” he insisted. “And I’ve had family members that I’ve done that to because my mother has asked me to. And when she passed away in 2009, I sent all of them letters, saying, ‘Listen, you got 60 days to become gainfully employed because I’m not gonna keep supporting you like this.”
Asked by host Franklin if he was serious, Perry said: “100 percent. They all got jobs. And it wasn’t even jobs where they’re making a lot of money. But it was a job, it was something else for them to do to feel some pride in. It’s the same thing I would want to do for me.”
Entrepreneur Hayes jumped in to ask him if he’s received any backlash from resentful family members.
“I have a family member who got mad at me because I wouldn’t give them $1 million,” Perry replied.
Offering Hayes advice on how to draw that boundary, Perry said: “If you’re trying to build a business to carry everyone in your family through, that’s one thing. And if you’re trying to do that, then build a business.
“What that means is, you gotta watch the family members that come putting holes in the boat that you’re trying to get across the sea,” he clarified, using the boat as a metaphor.
“Sometimes you build a boat by yourself. ‘Y’all wait over here on the shore. Stay here. I’m building this boat. I’m gonna go over and build this, and then I’m gonna come back and see who’s worthy to come.’ Because anybody who’s gonna drag you down or put holes in the boat, or try to destroy you, why bring them over?” Perry said.
Last month, The Oval creator was slapped with a $260 million lawsuit by an actor who appeared on the BET political drama, accusing him of sexual assault, battery, quid pro quo, and workplace sexual harassment.
Perry has denied the allegations through his lawyer, who called the lawsuit a “scam” and the claims “fabricated” in a statement to The Independent.
The accuser, Derek Dixon, who appeared on both the six-season drama and its spinoff Ruthless as Dale, has since spoken out, claiming he “couldn’t stay silent.”
“Everyone deserves to go to work and do their job without their boss trying to have sex with them,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in an email.
