Tyler Perry says eviction from ‘first apartment after being homeless’ was a ‘blessing’

Tyler Perry has found the silver lining in his difficult past. 

The media mogul revealed in an Instagram post this week that he visited his “first apartment after being homeless” when he found out the building was being demolished 10 years ago. He reflected on his past during the visit, sharing that his eviction from the apartment building ultimately ended up being a “blessing.”

In the post, Perry shared that when he first moved into the apartment, he felt “so happy” to have a home, but also “anxious and scared that I wasn’t going to be able to pay the $425 rent every month.” He went on to write that he would “freeze” when his landlord knocked on the door to collect rent on the first of every month and “pray that he went away.”

“I was late on the rent every month. Man, this makes me tear up,” Perry alongside a series of photos of the apartment building, the apartment unit, and himself standing in front of the unit. “I was trying to get my plays off the ground and nothing was working. I had a job at UPS collections and was so depressed.” 

Perry added that he was “praying and praying for my change to come.” Eventually, he said that he started to make “a little money” from his play and “paid all the back rent,” adding that he was “so happy” he could do that. 

Tyler Perry attends the World Premiere of Warner Bros.’ “The Color Purple” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Dec. 6, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) –

Perry said that he went away to do a play one weekend and came back to find an eviction notice on his door after he paid the landlord back. 

“I was so mad. He said I had been late too many times and I had been there too long and it was time for me to go,” he explained. “I was angry. I didn’t want to leave this one room that I had found comfort in. But I was forced out of that place. I was forced to leave even though I had met my obligation.” 

Perry added that he realized that he had lived in apartment No. 8, which had a special meaning.  

“Eight in biblical terms means a new beginning,” he wrote over an image of himself standing in front of his old apartment. “I now know that I was at my new beginning. I now know that if he had let me stay there I would have never left, because I had gotten comfortable.”

Recommended Stories

Perry shared how he now realizes “just like stagnant water, being stagnant can kill your dreams,” adding, “I now know that you don’t get to the other side by staying comfortable.” 

“I now know, and I thank God that that man put me out of that place,” he continued. “I can hear his voice, ‘You have to go, you’ve been here too long.’ Looking back it’s easy to see the blessing in it, but going through it feels like you’re at the end.”

“But I choose to believe that you are at a new beginning. Don’t be afraid!” he concluded.