LOS ANGELES — Tyler Perry’s mother, a longtime preschool teacher who inspired his popular Madea character, has died. She was 64.
“Willie Maxine Perry. February 12, 1945 to December 8, 2009. Thank you for all your prayers,” Perry wrote Tuesday on his official Web site.
The talented actor and producer did not reveal the cause of death.
Perry’s mother taught at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center for most of her life. He previously admitted that she was the inspiration behind one of his most popular characters.
“My mother is the wisdom of Madea,” he said in a 2006 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In October, the 40-year-old star revealed that he was abused by his father as a child. In an emotional open letter posted on his Web site, Perry confessed that “as I child I always thought I would die before I grew up.” The New Orleans native told his fans that many of his childhood emotions recently came out after watching a screening of Precious, the critically-acclaimed movie that he executive produced with Oprah Winfrey. In the midst of seeing the film, which centers around a 16-year-old girl who is physically and emotionally abused, Perry said he realized “a large part of my childhood had just played out before my eyes.”
Perry ended by urging others who have faced similar hurdles to forgive those who have hurt them, saying “forgiveness has been my weapon of choice. It has helped to free me.”
“If you’re having a hard time getting over something in your life, maybe you can try forgiveness too,” he said. “It’s not easy, but it does bring forth healing. I know that there are a lot of people out there with stories far worse than mine but you, too, can make it. To those of you who have, welcome to life. I celebrate you. We’re all PRECIOUS in His sight.”
