Atlanta media mogul Tyler Perry plans to relocate to Puerto Rico and spend less time in the city where he built his career, a move that’s part of a decision to slow down.
Perry, 57, confirmed his move during an interview on “Today” this week, when journalist Justin Sylvester asked him if there was ever a day when he would chill out. Perry, who was promoting his latest film “Why Did I Get Married Again?”, said he plans to move to the U.S. territory with his 11-year-old son Aman in 2027. Getting older inspired the move, he said.
“It’s time to slow down a bit, enjoy more time with my son and just take it all in,” he said.
Perry, through his publicists, declined to further comment.
Perry’s namesake studio, which now operates on more than 300 acres in southwest Atlanta at the former Fort McPherson, will not shutter or relocate, a person close to the studio confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Another industry executive, who also was not authorized to speak publicly, discounted the possibility of Tyler Perry Studios moving or winding down its operations.
Credit: Curtis Compton
Credit: Curtis Compton
The studio is a well-oiled machine, the home base of productions either written, directed or produced by Perry, as well as outside productions such as “Family Feud” and “Black Panther.” In 2019, Tyler Perry Studios played host to a Democratic presidential primary debate. It’s also adding a virtual production-enabled soundstage to its offerings.
It is unclear why Perry chose Puerto Rico. He maintains residences in Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Wyoming and the Bahamas. The director’s ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele, with whom he shares his son, is based in both New York and Paris, according to her Instagram bio. But he’s hardly the first high net worth individual to reside in Puerto Rico, which offers attractive tax exemptions.
Perry is one of Atlanta’s most recognizable figures, having moved to the city more than two decades ago to build a career that began in community theater. He went from financing plays using his life savings to generating more than $500 million at the box office for his films and signing lucrative exclusive deals with Netflix, BET and Amazon.
Perry has a few reasons for why Georgia is his home base, he told the AJC last year: It’s a convenient city to get to from anywhere in the world, and he likes the people.
“The warmth fosters great relationships and great people to work with and for,” Perry said. “And that inspires a lot of what I write about.”
In 2019, he opened a sprawling filmmaking campus, now one of the largest studios in the United States, where much of his work is filmed. He releases several productions each year, most of which, if not all, film on extremely tight and rapid schedules. He has welcomed newer creatives into the mix, including Courtney Glaudé and Armani Ortiz, and developed initiatives to champion new voices.
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