Celebrity

Tyler Perry Makes Rare Comment About Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Love Life

“The only reason I’m sharing this is because she shared it first.”

A photo of Tyler Perry next to a photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Getty Images Paras Griffin / Karwai Tang

When Meghan Markle mentioned that Tyler Perry had lent her and Prince Harry shelter and security after leaving the royal family during her blockbuster Oprah interview last year, many wondered how Perry knew the young couple. Now he is commenting on the unexpected friendship and the love between the couple.

Perry appeared on SiriusXM’s “Sway In The Morning with Heather B and Tracy G” radio show to promote his new film when host Sway Calloway veered the conversation toward the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In the interview, Perry revealed he originally reached out to Markle to provide his support while she was dealing with negative tabloid coverage after her marriage to Prince Harry. “What I was reaching out to her for was because they were giving her hell and a lot of it was because she was a Black woman,” Perry told Calloway. “And I flat out, no denying it, I completely knew that. And I wanted to reach out and let her know that there was somebody there for her.”

The media mogul sent her a note with little expectations about her response, though Markle did thank Perry for his outreach. Only a few years later did she really open up to him, and their conversations made one thing very clear to Perry: the couple’s love was real. “I’m just so proud of where they are now. Because I’m gonna tell you something. Those two people love each other. I don’t care what anybody says. I’m seeing it up close. And you can’t fool me. I got the Holy Ghost. You can’t fool me. I know what’s real. They really genuinely love each other. So I’m just so happy to see where they are now.”

Markle first acknowledged the friendship with Perry during the couple’s sit-down with Oprah, stating that he not only offered his home but also his security detail after theirs had been removed after leaving the royal family. “We needed a house and he offered his security as well, so it gave us breathing room to try to figure out what we were going to do,” she said during the televised interview. After the couple moved into their own home a few months later, a source told People that they had “endless gratitude” for Perry. “With COVID and as they were stepping back from their royal duties, he provided them a safe haven,” the source said.

Prior to his appearance on “Sway In The Morning with Heather B and Tracy G,” Perry refused to acknowledge his generosity when asked. In one funny exchange with Gayle King on CBS This Morning, he pretended to lose cell signal instead of answering the question.

Not only is Perry a fiercely loyal and supportive friend, but he’s also a secret-keeper: Perry told Calloway that he took his cues about public comments from Markle. “The only reason I’m sharing this is because she shared it first,” he said.