*Having an “Oop! I shouldn’t have said that moment,” director/writer Justin Simien has addressed his prior criticisms of Tyler Perry and the fallout that ensued, sharing his insights into the broader challenges faced by Black creators in Hollywood.
Tyler Perry, aged 54, recently recounted his tense exchange with Simien, 41, during an episode of the “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast uploaded last week. Perry laughed as he recalled the incident, saying:
“I called that n***a and told him I was gonna beat his ass,” at the 42:12 mark of the episode. Despite his threat, Perry showed a measured understanding, stating, “When I think about somebody like him or somebody who has something to say, I’m like ‘Great, you have your opinion.’ I live from this seat, tempered, measured, patient, prayerful, and disciplined.” Perry expressed his disappointment, adding, “So when I saw that, I was sad for him because I think he’s really, really talented.”
In a recent TikTok video shared on Tuesday, Simien, the creator of “Dear White People,” expressed a desire to mend fences with Perry. He admitted he might be the “highbrow negro” archetype Perry referenced in Palmer’s podcast. Simien acknowledged the industry’s barriers for Black creators, saying, “Whenever I would take my weird script to studios or financiers, they were like, ‘This isn’t like Tyler Perry; we don’t know how to sell this.’ And I took that to mean that Tyler and I were at odds and I was railing against what I perceived to be the status quo.”
Reflecting on his past criticisms, Simien voiced regret, especially about a scene in “Dear White People” where the characters denounce films like those made by Perry for perpetuating stereotypes about Black people. “I was an outsider then …, and I was falling for the ‘okey-doke,’” said Simien of the phone call he had with Perry in 2017.
He also acknowledged Perry’s significant achievements, noting that Perry was the first Black man to own a major film studio.
“Once I was inside the ring, I realized if you’re a person of color, if you’re a marginalized person making work about your own experience, the most sort of loud and egregious negative commentary that you’re probably going to get is going to come from your own community,” Simien reflected.
Simien shared a pivotal realization about his own journey and criticism: “I was going around the road and suddenly, with ‘Dear White People,’ which itself was trying to rail against the system, people were telling me to my face that I was not Black enough, I was not gay enough, my movie was not radical enough. And I thought, ‘Oh no, this is what I did to Tyler. This is what I did to Tyler.’”
@justinsimien ♬ original sound – Justin Simien
Simien confirmed that Perry did threaten, “Am I gonna have to come over and beat your ass?” but added that he was able to apologize for “tearing you down for a system that you actually did not create.”
He underscored Perry’s trailblazing contributions to the industry.
“It takes a lot of stress and a lot of energy to maintain that level of defense against all of these people,” Simien observed further into his TikTok video. He concluded by addressing Perry directly: “I just want Tyler Perry to know he does not have to do that with me, for whatever it’s worth—and it may not be worth much to him, but it is nothing but love from me to you, brother. And that’s all I have to really say about it.”
The exchange between Simien and Perry serves as a testament to the complex and often internalized struggles faced by Black creators in Hollywood, highlighting the importance of unity and understanding within the community.
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