Tyler Perry is coming to the aid of a 93-year-old woman after developers tried to force her out of her home. Josephine Wright is refusing to leave her South Carolina property which has been in her family since the Civil War. Her husband was a Gullah Geechee Islander. His relatives were former slaves whom Union soldiers freed. She is a grandmother to 40, great-grandmother to 50, and great-great-grandmother to 16 children.
Wright told WSAV that developers have harassed her and attempted to force her to sell her property. An investment group developing land behind her home has filed a lawsuit against her. The group alleges that parts of the home are on their property.
“I guess they figured I would become so unnerved with the harassment that I would say take it,” Wright said. “But they don’t know me. I am here to fight for what I have.”
She explained that her home is “where I want to be at this age;” therefore, she would resist anyone who tries to change that.
“I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life,” Wright said.
According to PEOPLE, Perry shared WSAV’s coverage of Wright’s story on his Instagram page and pledged his support. He captioned the video with some of Ms. Wright’s words, then wrote, “Ms. Wright, please tell [me] where to show up and what you need to help you fight?”
Celebrities like Meek Mill and Fantasia Barrino applauded Perry’s support and pledged their own.
“Corporate bullying at its finest .. this super hero status!” Mill said in the comments. Barrino wrote, “I will stand with you as well, Tyler.”
This isn’t the first time Perry has been acknowledged for his philanthropy work. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2021 Oscars. Additionally, he has used his wealth to help senior citizens save their homes by donating $750,000 to prevent the displacement of low-income seniors in Atlanta.