Tyler Perry Responds To Missing Ruto Visit, Plans To Come To Kenya
The meeting between Ruto and Perry at the Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta, Georgia was touted as one of the major highlights of the Head of State's tour of the American nation.
American actor, filmmaker, and playwright Tyler Perry has cited his tight schedule as the main reason for missing the highly-anticipated meeting between him and Kenya's President William Ruto, who is currently on a four-day state visit to the United States (US).
The meeting between Ruto and Perry at the Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta, Georgia was touted as one of the major highlights of the Head of State's tour of the American nation.
In a statement on his social media handles on Wednesday, May 22, the creator and performer of Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, termed it heartbreaking that he was unable to pause his commitments to meet the Kenyan President.
However, he did tease that he would visit Kenya instead, with the possibility of meeting Ruto one-on-one still in the cards.
President William Ruto and other delegates at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 21, 2024. /PCS
"Unfortunately, my schedule was booked and I’m heartbroken that I couldn’t move things around in time to be there to greet President Ruto of Kenya as he and his family and delegation toured Tyler Perry studios.
"The good news is that means I will have to make my way to Kenya very soon! I am honoured, humbled, and thankful that you stopped by President Ruto. Thank you Steve Harvey for stepping in. What a blessing," he stated.
Tyler Perry is an American playwright, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director who has been well known for successful works in many movies and series including, Madea, If Loving You is Wrong, The Haves and the Have Nots, For Better or Worse, The Oval among many more. He also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her nephew Brian Simmons.
Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays, many of which have been subsequently adapted into feature films.
Madea's first appearance was in Perry's play 'I Can Do Bad All by Myself' staged in Chicago in 1999.
Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. His breakthrough performance came in 2005 with the film 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman', which he wrote and produced as an adaptation of his stage play of the same name.
He also developed numerous television series, most notably 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne', which ran for eight seasons on TBS from 2006 to 2012.
In 2011, Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment. In 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) which featured scripted projects such as The Haves and the Have Nots.
After his massive success, Perry opened his own studio in Atlanta which cost him about $250 million (Ksh33 billion), which President Ruto paid a visit to.
The President, who is on a four-day visit to the United States, including a state visit that officially started on Wednesday, met stakeholders in the film industry to explore ways to partner and grow the local film industry.
Some of the leaders who accompanied Ruto include content creator Eddie Butita and President Ruto's two daughters.