Tyler Perry is one of the richest entertainers in the world, but his childhood was far from luxurious.
Growing up in poverty, Perry endured brutal abuse from his father. He once described his childhood as a “living hell,” saying he felt like he had “died as a child.”
Now, as a billionaire and father to his only son, Aman, Perry is determined to give him love—but not an entitled lifestyle.
Despite having Oprah Winfrey as his son’s godmother, Aman doesn’t receive everything he wants. Perry says his son gets only a gift or two for birthdays and Christmas because “he doesn’t have a job.”
The proud father wants Aman to understand gratitude, hard work, and the struggles that shaped his own life.
“I want him to know what it’s like to have his own name and his own life,” Perry explained.
His painful past may be one of the reasons he is so determined to raise his son differently.