Tyler Perry on 2024 Election: “What Is Important to Me Is That America Remains a Democracy”
Amid discussions about President Biden's potential re-election bid, filmmaker Tyler Perry shared his priorities regarding the 2024 presidential election during the New York premiere of “Divorce in the Black” on Monday evening.
“Let me tell you what's important to me, and I want you to hear me clearly when I say this,” Perry told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about his support for Biden's re-election. “What is important to me is that America remains a democracy that is free from anyone who is trying to change that or seize power like a dictator or a king. So I'm supporting anyone who stands against that.”
Perry, who supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 election, provided less specific comments this time, amidst calls from some Hollywood figures for Biden to step down from the race. Influential industry personalities such as Reed Hastings, Abigail Disney, and Rob Reiner have urged Biden to reconsider his bid for a second term, citing concerns over his performance at the recent debate and his age. However, Reiner seemed to retract his comments in a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Perry's statements align with Democratic concerns about Trump's claims of intending to act as a dictator and the broader notion that democracy is at risk in the upcoming election. His comments also follow a Supreme Court opinion that granted former presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts, a decision criticized by Biden and other Democrats as enabling presidential lawbreaking.
At the premiere, held at Regal Times Square, Perry discussed the insights gained from creating “Divorce in the Black,” which explores the personal stories behind divorce statistics.
“I don't know if I learned as much as I wanted to teach,” the writer-director-producer said. “Letting things go and not trying to hold onto … loving someone into a place that they are not able to go to is so important.”
“Divorce in the Black,” starring Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict, follows Good's character Ava, a young bank professional whose husband (played by Hardrict) leaves her, prompting a battle she is determined to fight, only to uncover his destructive behavior and its impact on her capacity to love. The film begins streaming on Amazon's Prime Video on Thursday.
Meagan Good, accompanied by boyfriend Jonathan Majors, and Hardrict were present at the premiere, along with co-stars Taylor Polidore, Richard Lawson, Debbi Morgan, Shannon Wallace, and Joseph Lee Anderson.
