Sound Off: Readers Speak on Tyler Perry's Emotional Oprah Interview

Often starring as the troublesome yet hilarious “Madea” and the genius behind “Why Did I Get Married” and “Diary of A Mad Black Woman”, Tyler Perry has become one of the most successful black producers in the entertainment industry. All of his fame and fortune however does not erase some of the things that he went through as a child. During his appearance last week on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, Perry revealed to the viewing audience some shocking secrets about his childhood growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana. From brutal beatings to molestation incidents, Tyler Perry endured more than anyone could have imagined. After holding on to these horrifying memories, Perry felt like it was time to let the world hear his story. And he chose Oprah’s couch to share it on.

“I was in complete shock after watching Tyler Perry on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I always knew bits and pieces about his childhood. But I never heard the whole entire truth behind it. It’s a real shame what he went through and I could only imagine if I had to grow up in that kind of environment. I don’t know if I could have handled that like he did.”

-Katrina M.
Age: 31
Boston, MA

“For many years now, I have always been a big fan of Tyler Perry and his work. I have all of his stage plays and big screen movies sitting right in my DVD collection as we speak. I will continue to support him through all that he does. And I think what he said on the show took a lot of heart and strength to do.”

-Alex H.
Age: 27
Buffalo, NY

“The way I look at him is totally different now. I’ll admit I had my share of laughs when it came to the jokes that were made about Tyler Perry and his “sexual preferences”. But now after his appearance on Oprah last week, it made me realize that a lot times we go around talking about these famous people and trashing their names every chance that we get. But we fail to remember that they, just like we do, go through hard times in their lives. And for him, his hard times caused him a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally.”

-Sabrina J.
Age: 42
Seattle, WA

“The sad reality is that what Tyler Perry went through is something that a lot of other boys and girls are going through right now. Child molestation is an on-going problem that will not change unless we as a community really open our eyes and realize that yes, there are sick individuals out in this world who think it is okay to have sex with a child.”

-Marvin B.
Age: 28
Los Angeles, CA

“The part of the show that disturbed me the most was when he talked about how the woman put the keys into her vagina and told Tyler to come and get them out of her. That was so disgusting. How could you ask a child to do that?”

-Samantha P.
Age: 21
Charlotte, NC

“One thing I can say about Tyler Perry is that that man has a very forgiving spirit. I mean, your father abused you for the majority of your childhood and you still give him money and take care of him. Then you come face to face with the same woman that basically forced you to have sex with her and you still maintain your composure. Not many people could have handled that well.”

-Mickaela M.
Age: 25
Dallas, TX

“Finding all this out about Tyler Perry was pretty shocking. All I can say is you never know what a person goes through until you hear it from their own mouth. To be honest, if he does have some issues with his sexuality, we can now see why.”

-Rodney V.
Age: 23
Salt Lake City, UT

“What his father did was completely out of order. The beatings, the way he talked to him, just everything. But the part that got me was when his father said that if he had have beat him (Tyler) more, he would have probably been Barack Obama. I was thinking to myself: “Did he really say that?” To me, it seems like Tyler Perry will never live up to the standards that his father has for him.”

-Renee K.
Age: 36
Phoenix, AZ