For higher or for worse, Tyler Perry stands by his work and the tales he tells about Black ladies in his films. Regardless of years of criticism over how he portrays their ache, trauma, and relationships, the Emmy-winning filmmaker has remained unapologetic about his artistic decisions.
In a lot of his movies, the Black feminine characters he creates take care of home abuse by the hands of their partner (“Madea’s Household Reunion”). In a lot of his tales, the ladies are barely scraping by just like the lead character in his new movie “Straw.”
Taraji P. Henson stars as a struggling mom dwelling in poverty with a sick youngster, who was accused of robbing a financial institution after she brings a gun in a determined try and pressure workers to money her verify.
Instantly Perry obtained complaints from the general public for persevering with this theme of a tough life for his Black feminine leads. The “Diary of a Mad Black Lady” author and director responded earlier than to those protests about his work. When requested once more how he would reply to individuals opposing his movies and reveals, he stood agency—defending his work and the tales he chooses to inform.
“I say nothing to these individuals who assume that my movies concentrate on the wrestle of Black ladies as a result of they’re proper. It does,” he admitted whereas talking with True Love Journal in a video shared on Instagram on June 8.
“Let me inform you one thing if I get a possibility to place a Black lady on display screen for individuals to see them in love, in completely happy, in pleasure, in ache, in wrestle what I’m doing is a service to all individuals so that individuals will know that Black ladies should not simply robust in a single factor. They’re all issues. They undergo all of those various things.”
Perry mentioned he won’t ever miss a possibility to indicate “all sides” of Black ladies by “paying homage to my mom, to my aunt, to my sisters, and pals and cousins and the issues that they went by way of.”
Each Perry and his mom Maxine suffered abuse by the hands of his stepfather Emmitt Perry. In 2020, he revealed that he felt “relieved” to search out out he wasn’t biologically associated to Perry Sr., the alcoholic development employee he had believed was his father for years. At 41, a DNA take a look at together with his brother confirmed the reality, unraveling a perception he had carried his complete life.
Two years in the past, Perry, 55, put out a documentary referred to as “Maxine’s Child: The Tyler Perry Story” the place he revealed that regardless of having no relationship with Emmitt now, he nonetheless helps him financially.
Whereas Perry might have many individuals who dispute his tasks, it’s confirmed that he nonetheless has loads of supporters as nicely. Simply sooner or later after “Straw” premiered on Netflix, the film turned #1 on the streaming companies’ high 10 film listing.
Tyler Perry put each black wrestle throughout the first 20 minutes of #Straw
~ single black mother~ low revenue housing ~ eviction ~ low paying job ~ WIC/Meals Stamps/First of the Month~ expired automobile registration ~ Little one Protecting Companies ~ shitty boss ~ armed theft by yns
— kitaboots ♉️🇭🇹🇯🇲 (@kitaboots) June 6, 2025
She beforehand labored with Perry’s different #1 films, 2009’s “I Can Do Dangerous All By Myself” and 2018’s “Acrimony,” the place she respectively performed a drug who misplaced her mother and sister to turn into a foster mum or dad and a lady scorned who stalks and almost kills her ex-husband and his new spouse when he turns into profitable after she spent her entire life supporting him.
Subsequently working with Perry once more was a no brainer.
“STRAW is lastly out on @Netflix and it’s a experience. Uncooked, actual, and rooted in fact. I poured my entire coronary heart into this position— each scream, each second — and so did this unbelievable solid,” Henson wrote in regards to the movie on Instagram.
The Neighborhood Discuss reposted Perry’s response to the backlash in regards to the movie and followers additional supported him within the feedback.
One individual mentioned, “I’m a black lady who has suffered. If nobody else, thanks for telling my story, Mr Perry.”
One other wrote, “We struggling in actual life he simply brings gentle to our conditions.”
A 3rd mentioned, “He’s spoken on this earlier than. In case you don’t like his storylines, it’s easy: don’t watch.”
i simply watched #straw and now granted—it’s good and taraji’s efficiency was 10/10—however tyler perry’s obsession with seeing black ladies wrestle in his movies must be unpacked
— . (@maybetylerornot) June 7, 2025
A fourth providing a barely completely different perspective mentioned, “That’s honest butttt it’s simply as vital to provide younger Black women empowering illustration in your movies… one thing they’ll actually look as much as.”
Nonetheless critics weren’t so good writing, “Tyler Perry and one other black ladies wrestle film, aren’t y’all sick of this narrative?”
One other wrote, “I simply watched #straw and now granted—it’s good and Taraji’s efficiency was 10/10—however Tyler Perry’s obsession with seeing black ladies wrestle in his movies must be unpacked.”
Each Perry and Henson have celebrated with written messages on Instagram to their followers. Discuss present host Sherri Shepherd, who performs a job reverse Henson, expressed her gratitude for the movie’s success regardless of the criticism on-line.
“I awoke this morning to the information that “Straw,” my film with Taraji P. Henson and Teyana Taylor, is #1. And it appears like God is within the world enterprise too as a result of I noticed within the UK it’s #1. I’m so extremely grateful,” Shepherd mentioned in a video.
“I’m so excited. You recognize as a comic book, who – I make my dwelling making individuals giggle, to do drama and step out of my consolation zone, like I’m grateful that Tyler Perry gave me a starring position and believed in me sufficient to solid me within the film and trusted me sufficient to have the ability to play my character.”
“Straw” is offered solely on Netflix.
