Meghan Markle Saw Tyler Perry as Her 'Therapist' After Leaving the U.K.
Tyler Perry revealed that Meghan Markle treated him 'like a therapist' when she fled the royal family in 2020.
Tyler Perry played a significant role in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's move to California, and he revealed that the Duchess of Sussex depended on him emotionally after leaving the royal family in 2020.
The media mogul made an appearance on the "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast with Kelly Ripa about his friendship with the Sussexes, admitting that he was “like a therapist” for the Suits star.
“‘Everybody thought Oprah [Winfrey] introduced us, but Oprah didn’t even know that I reached out to them,” Perry told Ripa.
“I sent them a note… and just said, ‘If you ever need anything, I’m here,’ and she called months later and just talked to me like I was a therapist and we just had a great conversation,” he continued.
The filmmaker noted that as an entertainment professional, he values authentic bonds with his peers.
“It is very important for people in this business to have a safe place to land, to have a place where they can trust and talk freely and get advice that’s not going to be biased or from somebody who wants something from them," he shared.
The billionaire went on to share that the duo "hid out at my house for a long time."
“It was so great,” he recalled. “Every day. Every day that they were there, I looked to see if anything’s happening online. Nothing. They don’t even know, so weeks and weeks they were there.”
"They were so happy. It was such a beautiful moment," he concluded.
In the docuseries Harry & Meghan, Meghan explained how Perry helped the Sussexes leave Canada after their safety was compromised.
“He [was] like, ‘My house is safe.… You’re going to stay as long as you need,’” Megan said. “‘And I’m going get you there safely. And I’m gonna keep you there safely until you have somewhere to go.’”
In the Netflix series, Perry gushed over becoming Princess Lilibet's godfather, and he shared his perspective on Meghan's fallout with her dad, Thomas Markle.
“I’m not a royal watcher, I don’t really pay attention to a lot of stuff,” he said. “But I saw something about her father [posing for the paparazzi]. I found it to be hurtful if he were my father."
"And I couldn’t even imagine this woman finding the man that she loved, the man of her dreams, and him being a prince, and then to walk into all of that madness and need the security of family and then have your father do some horrible things," he continued.
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Meghan confided in Perry after paparazzi found the couple's Canadian address.
“And then one day when we were in Canada I had called him,” Meghan shared. “Finally, after years at that point. [It was] the first time we ever spoke. And I was just a wreck, I was crying and crying. Like sometimes it’s easier to just open up to someone who knows nothing at all. And that was that moment with me and Tyler.”
