Tyler Perry‘s heartfelt tribute to “All in the Family” show creator Norman Lear went left after fans accused the television producer of stealing from Black creators.
Lear died from natural causes on Dec. 5 in his Los Angeles home, according to People magazine. He was 101.
In honor of Lear’s passing, Perry paid tribute to the late television icon on Instagram, where he spoke of their meeting after Lear invited him to lunch.
The “Madea” creator called Lear one of his “heroes” who “brought laughter and joy” to him as a child. He also named other shows Lear is famous for creating such as “Good Times” and “Sanford and Son.”
“Not long ago I had the pleasure of meeting one of my heroes,” wrote Perry. “He invited me to lunch at his home and as we sat and talked and laughed, I got a chance to tell him how he had helped save my life. I shared with him that he taught me to dream a bigger dream by his example. He was 100 years old at the time, but sharp as ever. Full of wisdom and great advice, and I took it all in.”
The Emmy-winning filmmaker said before he left he asked Lear, ‘At 100 years old what are you looking forward to?’ Without any hesitation he said, ‘Tomorrow.'”
Perry continued, “It was such a simple but powerful lesson to live your life fully one day at a time. And One Day at a Time just happened to be the name of one of his many hit TV shows along with Maude, All in The Family, Good Times, Sanford and Son and so many other incredible shows. They were the only thing that brought laughter and joy to me as a child, who was living a daily nightmare. I’m so glad that I had the chance to say to him, thanks to his vision and his work, he gave me many ‘tomorrows’ to look forward to.”
The 54-year-old previously opened up about the abuse he endured from his stepfather, whom he believed was his biological father until a DNA test proved otherwise at age 30.
Perry also recalled Lear asking him to help him put together a salute to the surviving Redtail Tuskegee Airmen for “Good Morning America.”
But things took a turn with Perry’s post when fans in his comments section responded to the tribute by accusing Lear of stealing from Eric Monte, a prolific writer and co-creator of “Good Times.”
Monte created the series with Mike Evans, and he previously accused Lear of being a “racist,” who stole his idea for “The Jeffersons,” during a 2006 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I created ‘Good Times.’ I created George and Weezy Jefferson. I created What’s Happening!!” Monte said at the 27:22 time mark of the interview. “Norman Lear is a racist, a hypocrite, a thief, and a liar, Okay? Now, the LA Times wouldn’t print that, but I’ll state it emphatically, that that’s what he is. He’s a racist, he’s a hypocrite, he’s a thief and he’s a liar.”
Monte also claimed Lear stole his idea for “The Jeffersons” by signing a deal behind his back. He later sued his agent, Lear, ABC, and CBS in 1977 and accepted a $1 million dollar settlement after his lawyers threatened to quit.
Fans reacted to Perry’s tribute. While many agreed that Lear was a television icon, others shared the same sentiment as Monte’s claims.
“Norman stole the idea for ‘Sanford and Son’ from a Black Man,” replied one, prompting another to add, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Another fan added, “And Good Times as well as others!”
Monte added that he was blacklisted in the industry and ended up living in a homeless shelter in Bell, California, after he became addicted to drugs. The 79-year-old later got sober and moved back to his hometown of Chicago.
