By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Filmmaker Tyler Perry says he will never marry, blaming what he called a “divorce pandemic” that has left wealthy people he knows financially ruined.
Perry made the disclosure during his debut appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where host Jennifer Hudson pressed him on his views about marriage, a subject he rarely addresses in public.
He told Hudson that everyone he knew who had built wealth and later divorced ended up broke, adding that the pattern had convinced him to avoid marriage entirely.
“I’m never marrying, and it’s actually the divorce pandemic that is happening,” Perry said. “Everybody that I know that is doing well went broke because of divorce.”
Perry described his stance as a deliberate decision shaped by the financial losses he has witnessed among acquaintances whose marriages ended in court, rather than a passing comment.
He also reflected on the death of his mother and the lasting influence she continues to have on his life and work, giving the audience a rare, emotional glimpse into his personal history.
Midway through the taping, Hudson surprised Perry with a birthday celebration, shifting the mood from reflective to festive.
The gesture reflected the candid, warm format Hudson has used with other guests on her daytime programme, pairing a serious personal disclosure with a celebratory moment in the same episode.
Hudson kept the conversation focused on Perry’s remarks about marriage and the birthday surprise, without steering into a broader discussion of his career.
