Tyler Perry Calls Out ‘Highbrow’ Critics of His Films: ‘Who Are You to Be Able to Say Which Black Story Is Important?’

Tyler Perry isn’t letting the “highbrow” critics of his movies deter him from sharing stories related to Black communities.

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“I know for a fact that what I’m doing is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing,” Perry said during a recent appearance on the “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast. “Because for everyone who is a critic, I have thousands of — used to be — emails from people saying, ‘This changed my life. Oh my God, you know me. Oh my God, you saw me. How did you know this about my life and my family?’ That is what is important.”

Perry’s latest drama film “Divorce in the Black,” starring Meagan Good and Cory Hardict, has been widely panned by critics and even earned a rare 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film currently holds a 75% audience score.

Per Amazon’s official logline, the film follows “Ava, a young bank professional who is devastated when her husband Dallas abandons a marriage she is determined to fight for until fate intervenes, revealing Dallas’ wicked deeds that have trashed their marriage, and once upon a time sabotaged Ava’s destiny to be loved by her true soulmate.”

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Perry told host Palmer that he’s learned to take no notice of the criticisms throughout the years, as his movies are enjoyed by “a large portion of my fans” who are “disenfranchised.”

“Who cannot get in the Volvo and go to therapy on the weekend,” he continued. “So, you’ve got this highbrow Negro who is all up in the air with his nose up looking at everything, then you got people like where I come from, and me, who are grinders, who really know what it’s like, whose mothers were caregivers for white kids, and were maids, housekeepers…beauticians. Don’t discount these people and say that their stories don’t matter. Who are you to be able to say which Black story is important or should be told? Get out of here with that bullshit.”

Listen to the full podcast episode below.

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