‘Became a Billionaire Off the Same Formula’: Loni Love Blames Tyler Perry Amid Criticism of ‘Divorce In the Black’ Film’s Shortcomings

Tyler Perry ’s latest film, “Divorce in the Black,” starring Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict, has premiered on Amazon Prime after a robust promotional campaign. Both actors have lauded their filming experience and noted that Perry paid them more than they had ever earned, a sentiment echoed by fellow actors such as Taraji P. Henson .

Per usual, Perry’s new film has been met with criticism from fans, who have disparaged its plot, some even calling it one of the worst films to stream in 2024.

Adding fuel to the controversy, comedian Loni Love chimed in to publicly challenge Perry to invest as much in writers as he does in actors. Love’s comments have sparked a broader discussion about Perry’s support for Black creatives in TV and film on social media.

The former “The Real” host shared a Screen Rant tweet noting “Divorce in the Black” received an “exceedingly rare 0% score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.”

“I love that Tyler is paying Black actors now I wish he would hire Black writers and directors that have experience to help him with his movies,” Love wrote.

She continued, “He could improve the movies & make them award worthy if he would stop trying to save money by doing the writing and directing himself.”

Fans quickly weighed in on Love’s post, with some agreeing with her stance on Perry hiring unionized writers.

“I literally said this on my podcast episode today. Like he has the studio, all he needs to do is hire others to make these films better,” one person commented, while another concurred, “I mean you speaking the truth!”

Continuing with the same the sentiment, one person wrote, “He’s not interested in being award worthy. He’s interested in consistently pocketing as much money as possible. His current setup allows him to do that. Awards don’t bring money. Accolades don’t by pay bills or provide the lifestyle he’s accustomed to.”

“I watched last night,” another person added. “The cast and actors were good it’s just the story felt incomplete, rushed, predictable. Kinda all over the place a little unrealistic. Definitely things at least a writing team could help with.”

One more comment said, “Ain’t no way y’all can disagree with what Loni said! I don’t support Tyler for this very reason these movies are trash!”

Others stood firmly with the “Madea” creator.

“Tyler Perry became a billionaire off the same formula, so why would he ever switch it up to appease yall wishy washy a—es? His target audience is satisfied,” one fan said .

Another wrote, “We are all entitled to our opinions. However, has it been considered Tyler is doing just fine at #1 with the current movie, others definition of ‘award worthy’ is not his goal or angle, & the respectful manner in which he pays actors/actresses is.”

One person who claimed to be a former Tyler Perry Studio worker commented on The Jasmine Brand’s Instagram page and said, “I worked 5yrs for Tyler Perry Studios and obviously she doesn’t know how his studio is ran. Mr. Perry has always hired black writers and directors – Chip Fields, Alfonso Ribeiro, just to name a few black directors along with several black writers and producers. She just hasn’t gotten picked yet. But don’t down play what Mr. Perry HAS in fact done.”

Someone else rationalized, considering the large checks he has written to his stars , “He won’t be able to pay actors & actresses top dollar if he has to start paying writers.”

Good shared on her Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast that Perry paid her more than any other studio or producer. Good’s remarks align with those of other Black actors and actresses, who commend Perry for valuing and fairly compensating them, like Taraji P. Henson.

The “The Family That Preys” actress said during the 2019 BET Awards that Perry represents Black people on screen and behind the scenes.

“In the time when my counterparts were making way more money than I was, I was only making a fraction of what most of them were making, Tyler Perry was the first to pay me my worth,” Henson said.

Good’s co-star Hardrict talked about this same level of generosity on “The Breakfast Club,” saying, “He paid me the most I ever made in the film for three weeks, really ever,” the “All American: Homecoming” actor said. “And I’ve worked on films five months with $75 million budgets. Three weeks. That’s why I say he’s a gift from God.”

Still to Love’s point, while the actors are content, the stories suffer.

Over the last week, Rotten Tomatoes gave “Divorce in Black,” which was directed, produced and written by Perry, a dismal 0% rating from industry professionals and 53% from actual viewers, which was better, but still landed the film in the “Rotten” category.

Perry’s reputation for generosity toward actors stands in stark contrast to his controversial stance on writers’ compensation. He has openly preferred hiring non-union writers , a decision he defended in a 2020 interview.

This approach has put him at odds with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which once filed an unfair labor practice claim against him. The claim alleged that four “House of Payne” writers were fired for seeking contract negotiations. Perry’s lawyer countered that the terminations were due to performance issues, not union activities.

Perry’s insistence on using writers outside of the union reflects a broader tension within the industry, highlighting the divide between creative control and fair labor practices. It also shines a light on his enormous wealth and how popular the billionaire’s brand is, which is the reason fans believe he won’t change his ways.

One X user wrote, “He doesn’t care though. Because it’s going to make money no matter what. Regardless of the ‘ratings’ PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO WATCH IT because it has his name on it.”

‘Became a Billionaire Off the Same Formula’: Loni Love Blames Tyler Perry Amid Criticism of ‘Divorce In the Black’ Film’s Shortcomings