Looks like Meghan Markle has found herself in yet another controversy, and this time it’s with the man who helped her and Prince Harry out when they quit the Royal Family in 2020 – Tyler Perry. While Perry himself has not spoken up about wanting the actress to repay his generosity, there are reports claiming the same.
The 56-year-old actor apparently wants to settle old accounts with the couple from back in the day. According to reports talked about in Leiliani of Barbados‘s YouTube video, “Perry has noticed Meghan Markle’s PR team trying to say that she’s made $16 million US since she left the Royal Family.“
Reportedly, Markle is also going around claiming that she is a successful businesswoman now, making Perry think, as per Leiliani,
‘Why doesn’t Meghan Markle pay me back for the $18 million mansion I gave her in 2020? For all the free private jet rides I gave her? How about for all the security I paid for her?‘
According to another YouTuber, Scarlet Scoop, Perry “reportedly opened his wallet, loaning them a jaw-dropping $16 million to fund their Monteceto mansion, pay for full-time security, and bankroll the first phase of their Hollywood royalty lifestyle.“
Perry is apparently feeling used, and it might have something to do with the fact that he is getting sued again, this time by a former colleague, for his allegedly inappropriate actions. He has been hit by a $260 million lawsuit after the actor accused him of harassment in a 46-page-long complaint. More on this below.
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Coming back to the billionaire reportedly feeling that Markle and Prince Harry owe him his money, people initially believed that the actor was helping the couple out of the goodness of his heart, especially since he spoke of it in their documentary.
In the final episode of the docuseries, he stated, “When my life changed and success started to come, family members became different people, and I know how hurtful that can be and how horrible it can be. I immediately empathized with her” (via ABC News).
Now that Perry is allegedly asking for the dues to be fulfilled, Leilani claims that Markle should’ve thought twice before she messed around “with big, powerful people like Tyler Perry.” She added that while they can propel and help you, they can just as easily disavow you.
How Did Tyler Perry React to Questions About Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?
Tyler Perry in Harry & Meghan | Credits: NetflixWhen Perry first helped Markle and Prince Harry figure out their lives after the royal exit, he hadn’t met the couple, nor had he attended their wedding. They are good friends now, and he is also the godfather of their daughter, Lilibet.
He sat down for an interview with the Sunday Times, and the interviewer’s questions about Markle made him a little uncomfortable, to say the least. When asked how he assisted them in their move to America, he coldly replied, “I didn’t.”
As per The Times, the actor bristled at the questions. He added,
Meghan is from California. She knows California well. So there was nothing to prepare them for. But I will say this: what I learnt about mentioning them – because there’s this insatiable appetite to know all about them – is that any question that is asked becomes the headline of anything I say.
When asked about the headlines being rampant in both the USA and the UK, Perry retorted, “You’re from the UK, you tell me…You think? Well, you would know better than I would because I’m not paying attention to that world.“
It was at this point that the interviewer knew that it was time to change the topic of conversation.
Meghan Markle’s Bond With Tyler Perry and Silence Amidst Scandal
In 2022’s Harry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her conversation with Perry, stating that she was just “crying and crying” to him, and that sometimes, it’s easier to “open up to someone who knows nothing at all.“
Their friendship bloomed over time, and she even attended the Paley Honors gala, where Perry was honored with a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Markle opened up about their bond in an interview with Allison P. Davis for The Cut.
Everyone’s favorite Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Duchess of Montecito and CEO of American Riviera Orchard hit the red carpet and lit up Tyler Perry’s path#MeghanMarkle #DuchessofSussex #DuchessofMontecito #AmericanRivieraOrchard #TylerPerry pic.twitter.com/KH8jOsOJNx
— Agedor.art (@agedorgallery) December 5, 2024
The host stated, “[Perry] also told Meghan to call if she ever needed support or advice. It took her a long time to do so, she admits. But once she did, she found herself telling him every detail of their situation.”
In the documentary, Markle recalls his generosity, stating, “He [was] like, ‘My house is safe.… You’re going to stay as long as you need…And I’m going get you there safely. And I’m gonna keep you there safely until you have somewhere to go” (via Vanity Fair).
Unfortunately, it looks like Markle is not repaying the favor while Perry fights against a s*xual harassment lawsuit. Actor Derek Dixon, who worked with Perry on The Oval and Ruthless, seeks $260 million in damages, alleging that the filmmaker created a “coercive, s*xually exploitative dynamic” as they worked together (via PEOPLE).
In the October 01 filing, Perry’s legal team has denied all claims, stating that the lawsuit is “profoundly disappointing, cynical, and – most of all – false“, accusing Dixon of turning Perry’s acts of “platonic friendship and professional mentorship” into something evil.
Markle and Prince Harry have stayed silent on the whole mess, with sources telling Radar Online that they “are remaining quiet on purpose because they do not want to get involved in Tyler’s case,” which is coming across as “hypocritical” since Perry was with them through their bad times.
The claims are pretty strong with this one. Do you think this is the end of Markle and Perry’s friendship, with everything going on at the moment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.