Tyler Perry is a media mogul sitting at the top of the A-list. He's produced more than 20 plays, movies and TV shows and has rubbed elbows with entertainment elite. In 2010, Tyler was also named the second highest-earning man in Hollywood by Forbes magazine.
Look back at Tyler's 10 appearances on The Oprah Show.
But Tyler's life wasn't always so fortunate. For years, he says he suffered brutal physical abuse at the hands of his father and severe s*xual abuse at the hands of several adults. Inside or outside the home, Tyler says he never felt safe.
Now, for the first time, Tyler reveals in-depth details of his traumatic childhood and shares his personal story—a story of strength, power and, ultimately, triumph.
Though they're close friends, Oprah says she never realized how brutal Tyler's childhood really was. When she asks Tyler to describe the early years, his answer says it all. "[It was] a living hell," Tyler says.
As a picture of a young Tyler flashes across the screen, tears flood his eyes. "That's hard for me to look at," he says. "I feel like I died as a child."
To endure the violent beatings, shouting and name-calling, Tyler says he used his imagination to escape.
"I could go to this park [in my mind] that my mother and my aunt had taken me to. ... I'm there in this park running and playing, and it was such a good day," he says. "So, every time somebody was doing something to me that was horrible, that was awful, I could go to this park in my mind until it was over."
http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/First-TV-Int...
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Wednesday, October 20th 2010 at 6:18PM
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