Tyler Perry has never been married so he does not have a wife, but he was in a long-term relationship with his partner, a woman named Gelila Bekele until 2020. Since then he has remained single. Meanwhile, their relationship produced a son named Aman Tyler Perry.
Tyler Perry is a popular and celebrated name in Hollywood. As an actor, he has attained several feats and has been awarded numerous accolades for his successful works and contributions to the American entertainment industry. However, in this post, we are going to look into Perry’s love life, relationships with women, and the kids he has.
Is Tyler Perry Married?
At age 53 and despite owning a media empire, Tyler Perry does not have a wife and has never been married. This is against the common belief regarding a man of his age and status in our present-day society. However, the Acrimony star has dated some women in the past one of whom is Gelila Bekele.
His relationship with Gelila happens to be his most popular and long lasted. Although their relationship didn’t later work out, the ex-couple remained very close friends and raises their child together.
Meanwhile, Tyler Perry’s not being married at this age has sparked questions about his sexuality and rumors of being gay. But, those have been without any evidence or proof. More so, Tyler has never once addressed them publicly.
Who was Tyler Perry’s Partner?
Tyler Perry’s partner was Gelila Bekele. They dated from 2009 to 2020 and had one child. The couple met for the first time in 2007 at a Prince concert. According to Perry, their meeting was love at first sight. He was captivated by Gelila’s beauty and promptly made his move which Gelila said was the first spark of their relationship.
Terry and Gelila never got married. There were speculations that they once secretly got married, but it is not proven as neither party confirmed or debunked it. Before their split in 2020, they had an on-and-off relationship for a while. They tried their best to work it out, but eventually decided to go their separate ways although many of their fans expected that they would make it to the alter.
Just like every relationship has its fair share of fights, the reason for their break up is cited to be Tyler’s tight schedule, his inability to sustain a relationship with Gelila, and other differences they experienced. Their split, regardless, Tyler Perry and Gelila Bekele remain friends and are on good terms.
Tyler reportedly couldn’t dismiss the fact that he had a great connection with Bekele because he found himself going back to her even after their split. He once described her as an amazing person anyone would always want to get involved with.
Gelila Bekele is an Ethiopian Native
Gelila is an Ethiopian model, social worker, and humanitarian. She was born in September 1986 in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, but raised in California, USA. She is 37 years old at the moment. Before she graduated from the University of California Berkeley, Gelila had already discovered her talent as a model.
She actually began her modeling career at the age of 19, working for Ford Models Paris and Ford Models New York. Over the years, she has worked with several high-profile brands and designers in America, including H&M, Pantene, Levi’s, Michael Kors, Pinko, and L’Oreal, among many others.
As a matter of fact, Gelila has a thriving career and had gained a decent amount of popularity before meeting Tyler. She is definitely not in the category of people that rise to fame due to their relationship/marriage to an already famous person. Alongside a successful modeling career, Gelila is also a photographer and documentary filmmaker.
Tyler Has One Biological Child
Tyler Perry is the father of one child born by his ex-partner, Gelila. Five years into their relationship, precisely on 30th November 2014, Gelila gave birth to Aman Tyler Perry. Aman is currently 9 years old. For all we know, Tyler and Bekele try as much as possible to keep Aman away from the public eye as nothing much is known about him.
In an interview on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the actor said that he does not think it will be okay to share photos of his son on social media. Anyway, his photos later made it into the media, but still, it is hard to get any other facts about little Aman. Nevertheless, he admitted that they both are supportive in their son’s upbringing. Perry often speaks about how much he and his son look very much alike.
Key Facts About Tyler Perry’s Relationship
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Tyler Perry |
| Born | September 1969 |
| Age | 54 years old as of 2024 |
| Marital Status | Never Married |
| Longest Relationship | With Gelila Bekele (2009-2020) |
| Child | Aman Tyler Perry (Born on 30th November 2014) |
| Rumored Relationships | Had rumored relationships with Tasha Smith (during the 2000s) and Tyra Banks (spotted on dinner dates in 2006). Neither relationship was confirmed by Perry. |
| Sexuality Rumors | Some rumors about him being gay. However, Tyler Perry hasn’t publicly addressed these rumors. |
| Current Relationship Status | Tyler Perry has been single since the breakup with Gelila in 2020. |
| Comments on His Single Status | Stated on Twitter that he’s going through a midlife crisis and unsure about the next chapter of his life. |
| Relationship with Gelila Bekele | Met in 2007 at a Prince concert. Dated from 2009 to 2020. Had an on-and-off relationship. Reason for break up included Tyler’s tight schedule and other differences. |
| Gelila Bekele Details |
|
| Aman Tyler Perry | Tyler and Gelila try to keep Aman away from the public eye. Tyler admits he and his son look alike and doesn’t share his son’s photos on social media. |
Tyler Previously Dated Tasha Smith and Tyra Banks
Tyler Perry and Tasha Smith had a thing before Gelila Bekele came into the life of the actor. Tasha Smith is a 53-year-old American actress and filmmaker. In the 2000s, she appeared in many of Tyler’s projects and that was the time they were rumored to be dating. However, rumors of their relationship were not confirmed until Perry started dating Gelila.
Meanwhile, Tasha expressed shock in 2014 after she got to know that Perry welcomed a child with his girlfriend, Bekele. According to the actress, she used to think that Tyler is asexual, and in her words; “Perry is an uncle who never engaged in sexual activity”. From her statements, fans assumed that probably they never actually had anything together.
Another woman that Tyler Perry was rumored to have had a relationship with is Tyra Banks, an American TV personality, model, writer, and actress born in Inglewood California on 4th December 1973. In 2006, she and Perry sparked dating rumors after they were spotted a couple of times together on dinner dates.
However, the two publicly denied having any romantic affair but said that they were only good friends and nothing more, hence, the rumors died down. According to findings, Tyra Banks is currently in a relationship with Louis Bélanger-Martin.
Tyler Has Remained Single Since His Breakup with Gelila
After his relationship with Gelila Bekele ended, Tyler Perry took to his Twitter and stated that he is single and going through a midlife crisis and doesn’t know what the next chapter of his life would look like. “…whatever it looks like I’m going to walk with God, be the best father and man I can be, hold my head up high, and try to look my best doing it!!.., he tweeted.
Similarly, there are hardly any other facts available on Gelila’s love life, and whether she is in another relationship. As much as it is known, the two no longer have things in common, but that does not stop Gelila from openly celebrating the film mogul.
Is Tyler Perry Gay?
No, Tyler Perry is not gay. While the American actor has not disclosed his sexuality, it can be inferred from his relationship history. Perry appears to be heterosexual as he has only publicly dated women. However, his ex-friend Walter Lee Hampton has said that Perry was gay back in the day. These statements have not been addressed by Perry.
FAQs
Did Tyler Perry Get Married?
Tyler Perry has never been married. He is only known to have been in a long relationship with Ethiopian model Gelia Bekele from 2009 to 2020.
How Many Kids Does Tyler Perry Have?
Tyler Perry has one kid. He welcomed his son Aman Tyler Perry with Gelila Bekele in 2014.
Who is Aman Tyler Perry?
Aman Tyler Perry is the son of Tyler Perry and his ex-partner Gelila Bekele.
How Old is Tyler Perry’s Son?
Tyler Perry’s son is 10 years old in 2024. He was born in 2014.