On yesterday’s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Tyler Perry spoke on the sexual and physical abuse he endured as a young child.

By the age of 10, Tyler revealed that both men and women had molested him. A male nurse, a man at his church, and the mother of a friend were listed as some of the perpetrators.

The graphic details include the man at the church performing oral sex on him, another tale involved the mother of his friend locking him inside of her home and forcing him to pull the key from inside of her vagina.

As a result, Tyler says a sexual awkwardness has followed him for much of his adult life. He says he’s only had five serious relationships, and that as he got older he discovered certain “triggers” from his past that would make him uncomfortable.

Among them include lingerie, which one of his molesters wore while assaulting him.

Perry also described the brutal beatings he suffered at the hands of his father. Those beatings grew worse once Perry disclosed to his mother that his father molested one of his friends.

Though Perry did acknowledge his mother introduced him to Christ and as a result helped him, he also said his mother was too passive to help where it mattered most: Standing up to his father.

He told Oprah, “She did not have that backbone to stand up for herself, so certainly she couldn’t stand up for me.”

Still, Perry cites his mother, who passed last year, as his “saving grace.”

Tyler’s aunt, who sat in the audience, also provided relief by way of bringing a gun over to Perry’s home after discovering the beatings he suffered from his dad. Needless to say, she was the inspiration behind the “Madea” character.

Because of this abuse, the famed director said for a period of his life he was a troublemaker – including committing acts of arson – all in the name of “making people feel as much pain as I did.”

As for the relationship between Perry and his father today, Tyler says that while he sends him checks and put him up in a mansion in their native Louisiana, they don’t keep in touch.

Perry’s father taunted that had he beaten Tyler more that he would be Barack Obama.

Because of this interview, Tyler Perry says he will rejoin Oprah on Nov. 5, 2010 when 200 men will come forward and speak on their own molestation stories in front of their wives, girlfriends, and mothers.

At the close of their interview, Tyler thanked Oprah for sharing her story of sexual assault years ago and inspiring millions to come forward.

TAGS: The Oprah Winfrey Show, Tyler Perry

Comments (0)