Tyler Perry rules out marriage, says divorce can make people go broke

American filmmaker, playwright and producer Tyler Perry has ruled out marriage, saying his decision is largely influenced by the financial consequences he has seen people face after divorce.

Speaking on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Perry said he has no problem with marriage itself but remains wary of what could happen if a relationship ends in divorce.

“I’m never getting married. Everybody I know who did well and went broke, it was because of divorce. So I’m good just being free,” Perry said.

Perry, who has built much of his career around stories exploring love, marriage and relationship conflicts, said his concern lies less with marriage than with what can follow its breakdown.

“It’s not the marriage that bothers me, it’s the divorce. Before you marry someone, you need to see them in all four seasons. When they’re happy, mad, stable, broke and hurt,” he added.

His comments offer an interesting contrast to his work, which has repeatedly examined the challenges faced by married couples.

Perry wrote and directed Why Did I Get Married? in 2007 and its 2010 sequel, Why Did I Get Married Too? The films explore issues including infidelity, communication, love and marital conflict.

Despite spending years creating stories centred on marriage and relationships, Perry has remained unmarried and has largely kept his personal life separate from the themes explored in his work.

His caution over divorce is also notable given the scale of his business empire.

Perry owns the rights to much of his film, television and stage catalogue, having built his early career by financing projects himself and retaining control over his creative work.

He is also the owner of Tyler Perry Studios, a 330-acre production facility in Atlanta, Georgia, established on the site of a former military base.

The studio has become a major part of Perry’s business empire and reflects the financial independence he has built throughout his career.