Tyler Perry Says He’s ‘Never’ Getting Married’

Tyler Perry has decided that marriage isn’t in the cards for him. During an interview on Today, the 57-year-old was asked whether he’d be getting married and said he won’t be walking down the aisle in the foreseeable future. 

“When I wrote the first [Why Did I Get Married?] I thought, you know, marriage might be a good idea at some point. At this age, no, that’s not a good idea for me. So no, won’t be any marriage for me,” he answered. 

Perry joked that he was turned off from the idea by “watching my own movie.” And when it comes to divulging his lack of interest in matrimony, Perry also joked that he doesn’t have a hard time sharing that information because he doesn’t really date.

“I haven’t been on a date in 30 years,” he said. “I can’t even tell you what’s said on the first date. Haven’t been. Haven’t been!”

Perry also shared that after decades of carving out his own lane in the entertainment industry, he’s ready to pull back from work. He’s planning to move to Puerto Rico with his 11-year-old son Aman. Aging is a major driver for the actor and producer’s decision. 

“Getting older [inspired this],” he said. “It’s time to slow down a bit, enjoy more time with my son and just take it all in.”

In another recent interview with Jennifer Hudson, he doubled down on his stance about not wanting to be legally bound to anyone. 

“I’m never getting married. Everybody I know who did well and went broke, it was because of divorce. So I’m good just being free,” Perry said.

His thoughts on marriage are timely–he’s sharing them right after releasing Why Did I Get Married, Again? which is a sequel to the hits Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too? released in 2007 and 2010. 

The entertainment mogul has never been married before and has also kept his love life tight-lipped. 

While Perry hasn’t been married, he has had a long-term partner. He dated the mother of his son, Gelila Bekele, from 2007 after meeting her at a Prince concert. However, they broke up in 2020. The reason for their split is undisclosed, but they continue to co-parent their 11-year-old. 

A source told PEOPLE at the time that they “amicably split,” and “remain close friends,” adding that “their focus is on being the best parents they can for their son.” 

The Madea actor was also rumored to have dated a few beauties in the past, including, most recently, Marlo Hampton.