Perry, who is a godfather to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Princess Lilibet, helped the couple when they first moved to the U.S. together
KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY; MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY
Tyler Perry will receive the Paley Center for Media’s highest honor, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are among the crew leading the celebrations.
The Paley Center announced on July 17 that Perry, 54, will be honored at the Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills on Dec. 4. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are among the tribute chairs along with Whoopi Goldberg, Gayle King, Taraji P. Henson, George Lucas, Kerry Washington and more.
“Throughout my career, I have strived to bring people together and to give a voice to those often underrepresented in media,” Perry said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Media has served as a vital platform for this mission, and I’m honored to receive this award from The Paley Center for Media, an organization that has dedicated itself to spotlighting the power and importance of media.”
Meghan, 42, and Prince Harry, 39, first connected with the filmmaker when Perry reached out to Meghan around her 2018 royal wedding. He let the Duchess of Sussex know he was praying for her “and that he understood what this meant, and that he could only imagine what it was like,” Meghan told The Cut in a 2022 interview. Perry told her to call if she ever needed support or advice.
NOAM GALAI/GETTY
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Using Sussex as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s Last Names
Taking him up on the invitation in early 2020, Meghan filled Perry in on her family’s stay in Vancouver, Canada amid an uncertain future as they announced their decision to step back from royal life. Before Perry had ever met the couple, he offered for them to stay in his Los Angeles estate with their son, Prince Archie, along with security detail while transitioning out of their senior roles within the royal family.
Perry said on an episode of Let’s Talk Off-Camera with Kelly Ripa released in Nov. 2023, “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.”
As they put down roots at their “permanent home” in Montecito (Perry even welcomed the pair to their new abode with a grand piano as a housewarming gift, telling them, “Write the soundtrack for your life,” according to The Cut), a source told PEOPLE that Harry and Meghan were appreciative of Perry’s compassion. “They’re really grateful to Tyler Perry for his kindness,” the insider said in summer 2020. “They have endless gratitude to him for helping them during a complicated time.
“With COVID and as they were stepping back from their royal duties, he provided them a safe haven,” they added.
Tyler Perry Shares His Cute Nickname for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Daughter Princess Lilibet
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet, in June 2021, they asked Perry to be her godfather, a role he first revealed on the Netflix series Harry & Meghan.
Perry recalled the couple getting “pretty serious” on a phone call: “I go, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ They said, ‘Well, we’d like for you to be Lili’s godfather.’ I go, ‘Whoa.’ I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, ‘I’d be honored. I’d absolutely be honored.’ “
After getting off the call and thinking about the ask, the director realized his agreement came with a bit of a condition.
“I called them back and go, ‘Uh, hold on a second — does this mean we gotta go over [to the U.K.] and do all of that in church with [the royal family] and figure all that out? ‘Cause I don’t wanna do that,’ ” Perry said in the docuseries. ” ‘Maybe we can do a little private ceremony here [in the U.S.] and let that be that, and if you have to do it there, then that’s okay.’ “
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Princess Lilibet was christened in a small ceremony at Prince Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home in 2023. An insider told PEOPLE exclusively there were between 20 and 30 guests at the gathering, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Perry and an unnamed godmother. Following the ceremony, attendees were treated to an afternoon of food and dancing, with Archie enjoying a dance with his little sister.
Perry flew in for the christening ceremony from his home in Atlanta with a 10-person gospel choir that sang “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine,” a song that was played at Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
News
Exclusive: Dame Kelly Holmes shares health update after dealing with ‘crippling pain’
Dame Kelly Holmes shares health update after dealing with ‘crippling pain’ Athlete Dame Kelly Holmes has opened up about the crippling pain she experienced before…
Eamonn Holmes shows just how serious he is about new girlfriend with bold move
Eamonn Holmes has been showing off his romance with girlfriend Katie Alexander as their pair enjoy a lavish weekend away at a friend’s wedding beaming for pictures…
This Morning’s Ben Shephard left blushing after Coleen Nolan strips naked live on air
Loose Women star Coleen Nolan wasn’t afraid to bare all as she took to the ITV daytime favourite wearing nothing but her birthday suit on the much…
Inside Strictly’s Craig Revel-Horwood’s age-gap relationship with fiancé Jonathan Myring
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel-Horwood is a fan favourite on the BBC show – but away from the dancefloor, he shares his life with his fiance,…
Exclusive: Daniel O’Donnell superfan reveals why the Irish crooner is their ‘happy place’
These Daniel O’Donnell superfans collect teapots and pillowcases with his face emblazoned on them – and have travelled as far as the Bahamas for a meet and…
Exclusive: ‘I don’t fear pro-Palestine TV blacklist, I need to speak out for my dad,’ says Nadia Sawalha
Nadia Sawalha has been a vocal critic of the Israeli government’s actions in Palestine over the last 12 months and impressed her Jordanian-born father thanks to her…
End of content
No more pages to load