Tyler Perry is cutthroat when it comes to his work and his craft, even if that means cutting family members out of his business.
Perry, 55, joined entrepreneur Derrick Hayes and rapper Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins for an episode of gospel singer Kirk Franklin’s “Den of Kings” podcast.
At one point in the episode that aired on July 20th, Perry spoke about hiring family members to work for him as part of his ever-growing entertainment empire that includes owning Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
“How do you keep at bay everyone that was there from the beginning that watched you struggle and suffer, but then there’s this automatic tension of what do I owe?” Franklin, 55, asked the panel of successful men.
“How much do I owe back? Who do I have to bring along? How do I have to let some go?” He continued.
Perry responded calmly, “I fired my aunt. She said she wanted a job. She would always call, asking for money. I’m like, ‘OK.’ I was sending the money. I like, ‘Listen, I want to help you. I don’t want to help you build this thing, not be welfare.’”
The billionaire known for playing Mabel “Madea” Simmons in plays and movies did not name the aunt that had to be let go, but he did clarify that the unnamed kinswoman was “calling in” and not showing up to work.
“I don’t believe in giving us things that are just going to handicap us. That is the worst thing you can do. And I’ve had family members that I’ve done that to because my mother has asked me to,” Perry stated.
He added, “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 going to keep supporting you like this.’”
Perry went on to say that the dismissed relatives were able to find other jobs even though they were not “making a lot of money.” But the veteran playwright and actor believed that decision instilled pride in his former employees.
“You’ve got to watch the family members that come putting holes in the boat when you’re trying to get across the sea. So sometimes you build a boat by yourself,” Perry told Hayes, 38, the founder of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks.
Perry continued, “Y’all all wait over here on the shore. Stay here. I’m building this boat. I’m going to go over and build this, and then I’m going to come back and see who’s worthy to come. Anybody who’s going to drag you down or put holes in the boat or try to destroy you, why bring them over?”
Footage of Perry’s comments about his family spread across social media on July 21. The Art of Dialogue posted the clip on X, which led to people voicing their opinions on the topic.
“White people don’t talk like this, Black people cry about nepotism, but when in [a] position to practice it, we don’t do it,” one X user expressed.
However, someone replied to that critical tweet by backing up Perry, writing, “If you weren’t so broke, you’d understand you don’t feed the leeches.”
A third person on the social media app tweeted, “I see a lot of people who don’t understand what generational wealth is and [are] confusing it with handouts and leeching.”
“It’s better to just leave family and business separate,” a poster suggested. One fan praised Perry’s remarks by declaring, “The boat description was incredible.”
Perry partially built his $1.4 billion fortune through producing, writing, and directing movies such as “Madea’s Family Reunion” in 2006, “Acrimony” in 2018, “A Madea Homecoming” in 2022, and “Straw” in 2025.
His television properties include television sitcoms and dramas like “House of Payne,” “Meet the Browns,” “For Better or Worse,” “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” and “Beauty in Black.”
Perry once again put back on a dress and wig to play his signature character in the recently released “Madea’s Destination Wedding” movie. The comedy debuted on Netflix on July 11, 2025, and jumped to No. 1 on the streamer’s chart of the Top 10 movies in the United States.
In 2019, Perry became the first Black American to own a major film production studio when he opened Tyler Perry Studios on a 330-acre property in Atlanta. The site hosts 12 soundstages, each named after prominent Black actors or actresses.
His reign as a Hollywood heavyweight resumed in 2024, when he re-upped his partnership with the BET Media Group to ensure that the BET cable network and BET+ streaming service would be the homes for his self-created content through 2028.
