Is Tyler Perry Gay? How Rumors About His Sexuality Started
Plus, his response.
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock The rumor that Tyler Perry is gay has been put to rest by actor Tyler Lepley from "P-Valley” in an interview on Angela Yee's "Lip Service" podcast.
Perry, who directs his primetime soap opera The Have and The Have Nots has been rumored for years to be gay — and is he?
Is Tyler Perry gay?
Perhaps the director can finally put these unsubstianted rumors behid him.
In the interview with Yee, Lepley stated that he started hearing rumors about people saying he and Perry were gay when he starred on his first show, Perry’s The Have and The Have Nots.
"I came out on a Tyler Perry show and for whatever reason [Perry] gets a rap like that and I know Tyler personally and he's not gay. I was seen around him and all of a sudden 'he's rubbing off on me' and people felt like I was gay or something like that," Lepley said in the interview.
In the comments of The Jasmine Brand’s Instagram that reposted the “Lip Service” interview portion of the rumors, fans argued with Lepleysaying “Baby maybe you shouldn't speak for him. Cause his tea been out for years,” and “How can anyone speak on anyone else’s sexuality with certainty?” Another fan also stated that “Tyler Perry is gay. Maybe not gay with you but he's definitely gay.”
Other fans note that Perry is a prominent and respected figure in the Black Christian community, and one fan speculated in a Reddit thread that his Christianity might be a reason he hasn’t come out. “Tyler Perry is very, very Christian. He has had gay rumors surrounding him for years, but he has never publicly said anything.”
Why do fans think Tyler Perry is gay?
In the past, Perry has supported gay rights — most notably in 2016 when he voiced his urgency for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to reject a bill that discriminates against the LGBT community. The spokesperson for the Tyler Perry Studios stated, " we believe in inclusion and equality for all people."
In 2019, Perry created a shelter for homeless women and LGBTQ youth at his Atlanta film studio complex in Atlanta, Georgia.
The fact that Perry plays a woman in all his Madia movies has always had fans questioning his sexuality as well. Fans also made assumptions about his history of hiring muscular guys for his plays and films are a sign of his real sexuality. Others thought in the past that the fact that he’s a successful single man with no children somehow suggests something, but he's now had a child and a history of only being with women. (Obviously, none of these aforementioned facts suggest anything, but it hasn't stopped speculation from persisting.)
What is Tyler Perry’s relationship history?
Perry revealed on December 16th that he is single again after a long history with his ex-girlfriend and Ethiopian model Gelila Bekele.
The ex-couple met in 2007 after attending a Prince concert and hit it off. They have been dating for years, even having a child together in 2014 named Aman Tyler Perry.
In the past, Perry was rumored to have dated model and talk show host Tyra Banks, after being spotted in public together several times in 2006, and American Idol alum Fantasia Barrino because of their close friendship.
Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers celebrity and entertainment news and loves internet pop culture. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter for artsy and funny content.