Tyler Perry has been a Black cinema powerhouse for decades. The world-renowned actor, filmmaker and playwright opened up his own production studio in Atlanta in 2015. There, he employed Black creatives, encouraging them to tell their stories and take up their space in Hollywood. The project has inspired works like “Mea Culpa,” “A Fall from Grace,” and his latest triumph, “Divorce in the Black.”
Beyond his impressive net worth and A-list group of friends, Perry is private about his life outside of work. This includes his love life. After cryptically announcing that he was single in 2020, many have wondered who has he shared his fortune with?
Who Is Gelila Bekele?
The mother of his only child, Aman Tyler Perry, Gelila Bekele is an Ethiopian activist, model, and filmmaker. She and Perry dated from 2009 to 2020 after meeting at a Prince concert. The pair welcomed their son, Aman, in 2014. However, news broke that the two had ended their relationship once Perry shared a gym selfie during the holiday season. He wrote: “This is what a midlife crisis looks like. I’m 51, single, and wondering what the next chapter in my life will look like.”
The two co-parent amicably and remain close friends. So close, in fact, that Bekele directed Perry’s life documentary, “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” which released in 2023. She spoke to the experience, feeling honored to tell his life story as someone with nearly 10 years of a front-row seat. Bekele said she chose not to include herself or her love life with Perry in the doc, noting “I wanted to take myself out of it, and just follow my curiosity and create a space for polarity where his critics and his fans can sort of share their truth,” she said.
Who Is Tyler Perry Dating Now?
Perry prefers to keep his private life private, though that hasn’t stopped rumors from swirling. Many have speculated about a potential relationship between him and “Sistas” co-star Crystal Hayslett, though the two have insisted to only be close friends. It seems as though he’s spent the years since his split from Bekele single. 10 years is certainly many to heal from.
Beyond that, his former relationships before his baby mama include actress Tasha Smith, who appeared in multiple Perry projects, and model Tyra Banks. Both resulted in being flings than long-term connections, though Smith spoke to her shock about learning that Perry was expecting a child back in 2014. She shared on the Wendy Williams Show, “I used to think he was asexual. I didn’t think he had sex… No, seriously. He’s like an uncle that never has sex. I was just shocked, and I’m so happy for him.”
Tyler Perry Remains Single
As one of the highest-paid Black celebrities, Tyler Perry has built an impenetrable fortune for himself, and he surely desires to share it all with someone someday. Until the right person walks in at the right time, he’s married to his projects, his legacy, and of course, fatherhood.