TYLER PERRY ON WHY HE KEEPS SON AWAY FROM SPOTLIGHT

"My Son's Not Famous"

Tyler Perry keeps his son, Aman, away from the spotlight with intention. The entertainment mogul recently sat down with AARP to talk about his life as a father and why he is passionate about keeping his personal life private.

RelatedPosts

“These people are not famous,” Tyler shared with the publication. Perry welcomed his son with his then-partner, Gelila Bekele, in 2014. He made it a point to not announce his expectancy and rarely discusses his son when interviewing with the press.

“My son’s not famous,” Perry shared with AARP. “I want him to have as normal a life as he can,” the celebrity father said. “I want him to know what it’s like to have his own name and his own life and not have the pressure of trying to live up to whatever or whoever your father was.”

Tyler Perry began his career in show business as a playwright. His first play, I Know I’ve Been Changed, made its debut during the 90s and was not received well. Tyler, who believed in his vision from the start, quit his mainstream job to bring the play to life. The effect of leaving his traditional job was homelessness. Perry spent three months in his car but never lost his determination to do great things in the entertainment industry. Now, he serves as an employer to many up-and-coming actors and an advocate for justice.

In many ways, Tyler Perry shields his son from the realities of life. “I don’t want to tell him that there are people who will judge him because of the color of his skin, because right now he’s in a school with every race, and all these kids are in their purest form,” the entertainment mogul said when discussing his parenting philosophy.

“When he describes his friends, he never defines them by race. So, the moment he loses that innocence is going to be a very, very sad day for me,” Perry admitted.

“I know it’s coming, though, because he’s already asking some really tough questions,” the celebrity father continued in reference to his son’s development. “What I want him to be, more than anything, is somebody who sees injustice, speaks out against it, and effects change,” Perry said.

Aman turns eight years old in November.

Photo: Getty Images

Sarie

Sarie

Sarie is a writer and editor for BCK's Los Angeles division. She also shares stories on Medium that are meant to encourage thought and discussion. You can catch her outside enjoying nature and classical literature. Pop culture is pretty fun, too!

Related Posts

Next Post

Newsletter

Don’t miss out on BCK’s newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter