EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Perry Lifts Lid on His Faith In Sensational Interview – Laying Bare His 'Spirituality Rules' and How God Got Him Through Darkest Days
Tyler Perry has revealed his innermost coping mechanisms.
March 4 2025, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Producer, actor and writer Tyler Perry had a tough upbringing but he got through it with a lot of hard work, perseverance and faith, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The star of the hilarious Madea movies has written a book chock-full of inspirational insights called Higher Is Waiting, which offers advice on pursuing dreams and leaning on God.
'Madea' star Tyler Perry credits faith, perseverance, and prayer for his success.
"We all have dreams deep inside of us," said the media mogul, who now has an estimated net worth of about $1 billion. "It's up to us to stay in the climb and claim it."
The 55-year-old says no matter how bad things got "I was somebody who was seen and loved by God."
Here are 10 of the key spiritual rules Perry lives by:
Creativity
"As a kid, I had a pretty creative imagination," said Perry. "I thought that the TV characters on my favorite shows, like Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, were real people, about four inches tall, living inside our TV ... I wanted those people to come to life.
"An impossible prayer to answer? It would seem so. But God understood my little boy's yearning to love.
"A few days later, we learned that our neighbor across the street was moving and wouldn't be able to take her parakeets, Fifi and Pierre – about four inches tall – with her.
"She asked if I would care for them. Would I ever.
"Fifi and Pierre were even better than little people stepping out from the TV. God's answers are even more than we expect."
Media mogul Perry is grateful for everything he has – crediting it all to God's grace.
Perseverance
Perry said he believes people should not stop, no matter what others say.
Just keep pushing through difficult times is his mantra.
Don't Be Afraid
"Fear is a spirit that can stop you from living," Perry declared. "God has not given us a spirit of fear." Being afraid is normal, but you need to reach beyond your fear to succeed.
Gratitude
Perry, who has a 10-year-old son named Aman with a former partner, says no matter what's going on in your life, an attitude of gratitude is the best way to see things – but admitted sometimes this is especially tough.
Love Stays With You
He said: "I was able to keep my promise to Mamma and take care of her for the last 12 years of her life. At the end, I wasn't ready to let her go, even though she was in a lot of pain. I'm glad she has no more pain, but I miss her every single day. I can still hear her singing in the church choir."
With a $1 billion net worth, Perry has had his every prayer answered.
Forgiveness
"On Fridays, my father, Emmitt, would come home from work, his week's pay folded into the back pocket of his overalls," said Perry. "He'd take a long bath, put on his creased jeans and freshly laundered plaid shirt and yell at us to find his shoes, a hint of the storm to come.
"When he came home hours later, stinking of alcohol and cigarettes, there would be hell to pay. He'd stomp through the house, and if anyone got in his way, he would explode, his fists flying. He beat my mother, he beat me, he beat all of us."
"When you forgive someone, you do not need Tyler says he's for his father, Emmit to let them off the hook. Emmitt did terrible things to us – and I remember all of it. But as I learned about the abuse he had suffered, I found it easier to forgive. It wasn't something I could do on my own. It was God's grace."
God Will Really Make Your Enemy Your Footstool
He cited Luke 20:43. "A footstool is only needed when you need to get higher. Let your enemy lift you."
Perry added: "God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies so let them watch you eat."
Perry has revealed how forgiveness and faith helped him heal from a painful past.
Use The Bible To Overcome Anxiety
"All you need to do is worship and pray," said Perry. "You worship and you pray ... As I celebrate [my life] on this planet, I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing. All the pain, all the hurt, all the disappointments, all the loss, all the loneliness, they all had an opposite, and today I am living in that opposite.
"My prayer for you today is, if you're in a low place, please don't stop till you see your opposite. God bless you."
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'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' creator Perry always tries to be philosophical no matter what hardship he's facing.
God's Timing Is Not Yours
"My dream was to write and perform," said Perry, who wrote and produced Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which shot him to fame.
"For five back-breaking years, I worked at producing my play I Know I've Been Changed. The first time I did it, I spent every cent I had. I figured opening night would be packed. You know how many people showed up? Thirty."
He kept rewriting the play and renting theaters, but nothing changed.
One night, he said about feeling hopeless: "I got up and started pacing, speaking out loud to God: 'You gave me these dreams and then you don't see me through. What's going on?' God spoke right back: 'I'll tell you when it's over. You don't tell me. You will persevere! Now look out the window.' I went to the window and gazed outside. There were people lined up around the block. The performance was a huge success."
Keep Praying
"Prayer really can change things," said the filmmaker.
"If it had not been for the Lord on my side I don't know where I would be ... nothing is impossible for God."
