:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(761x0:763x2)/tyler-girlfriend-e1569962140923-1-2000-25f8af4316fa4fc1b3659d53bf8b043f.jpg){kind=link}
No, Tyler Perry is not gay. The American actor and billionaire filmmaker is believed to be single at the moment, but he has been in some straight relationships. His last known girlfriend was Ethiopian-born model, Gelila Bekele, with whom he has a son.
Born on 3 September 1969 and currently 54 years old, Perry is one among several other Hollywood stars whose sexuality has been brought into question, but while he has not come out to clear the air, people close to him have made it known that he is neither gay nor bisexual. Here is a look at his true sexuality and his relationship life.
Is Tyler Perry Gay?
Tyler Perry is not gay. The speculation that he may be sexually attracted to men has been on for a very long time and for many reasons. One such is the fact that at the age 54 years of age, he has not yet gotten married. More so, he has not been in many well-known relationships with women in the past.
While the speculations about the successful and good-looking billionaire filmmaker’s sexuality continue, he has never been linked to any man in terms of relationships. This is except for the actor, Tyler Lepley who has worked with himy in the past and has played some gay roles. There have been claims that Perry is the one who influenced Lepley into becoming gay.
The fact that Tyler Lepley has since come out to make it clear that neither he nor Perry is gay, has done little to stop the baseless claims. Lepley is known to be in a loving relationship with Miracle Watts, with whom he has a son.
Reasons Fans Think Tyler Perry Might Be Gay
Tyler Perry’s role as the strong-willed African-American woman, Madea, in some of his productions is one of the reasons why some insist he is gay. Perry cleared the air on this when he made it known that initially, the untrue claims about his sexuality used to bother him but he has grown above it. He said he can’t help it if people cannot separate his personality from the character he plays in the Madea franchise.
The mannerism and aura of the actor is another thing that has got the infamous gossip columnist, Michael Musto to claim that Perry is gay. According to him, his outward appearance and the way in which he behaves gives him out as gay.
Another thing that people have picked to label the film producer is his history of hiring muscular good-looking men to take part in his productions. One such actor is the aforementioned actor, Terry Lepley. The actor took the role of a gay character in Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Haves Nots. He has also gone on to have some other gay roles which added fuel to the claims that he is gay and may just be Perry’s partner.
The Celebrated Filmmaker Supports LGBTQ Rights
While he may not be gay, Perry is a strong defender of LGBTQ rights. He made it known in an interview that based on his stance on issues relating to the LGBTQ community, both himself and one of the most famous characters on TV, Madea, from his series, Diary of a Black Woman, are allies of the community. This explains why he made it possible to have a place for a gay character in his 2013 production, The Haves and Haves Not.
In 2016, he was a strong opposition voice to the anti-gay bill proposed in Georgia. Perry described the bill as bigotry, division, and discrimination, and he called on Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to reject the controversial bill.
Who Is Tyler Perry’s Girlfriend?
Tyler Perry has been able to keep a lot about his personal life private even though he is a very famous individual in Hollywood. However, it is known that the he is currently not dating anyone. He revealed in 2022 that he was single and wondering what his life would look like.
That said, the actor has been in some well know relationships in the past. His last known girlfriend is Gelila Bekele. Gelila is an actress, model, and activist from Ethiopia. She got into a relationship with Perry in 2009, having first met at a Prince concert in 2007 and soon becoming friends. The pair remained together for more than a decade before they decided to part ways in 2020. Their separation was said to be mutually decided.
Tasha Smith is another woman that was once linked to Tyler Perry even before he started dating Gelila. Although fans are of the belief that the pair once dated in the past, there is nothing to indicate if this was true. When it was made known that Tyler Perry was expecting a child with Gelila, Smith claimed it was unbelievable because she had always thought Perry was asexual and he never had sex. This gave the suggestion that while they might have been close in the past, they never actually dated.
The only other woman that was linked to Perry in the past apart from Smith and Bekele is Tyra Banks. The two were rumored to have dated sometime in the mid-2000s after they were spotted together a number of times. The rumor that they might be dating got many of their fans excited before they both came out to make it clear that they were just great friends and that there was nothing more going on between them.
Tyler Perry Has A Child
Tyler Perry has never been married, as stated, and has not been in many relationships in the past, but he is a father. The billionaire actor had a son with his former girlfriend of many years, Gelila Bekele. The former couple welcomed their son, Aman Tyler Perry, on November 30, 2014, which means he is now 9 years old.
The celebrity kid is growing up with both parents fully in his life, even though Tyler and Gelila are no longer together. Aman is well protected from the media and the public because Tyler wants him to grow up as a normal kid and work towards having a name for himself. He revealed that he doesn’t want his child to grow up feeling the pressure of having to level up to who his father was.
Tyler Perry joked during an interview with Steve Harvey that when he is sixty, his son will be 15, and so he was going to hire someone to take him to basketball practice. One thing that he did not reveal is whether he is going to ever get married or if he has plans to have more kids in the future.