Oh boy… what to make of this… file this one under "things that make you go hmm…" from the press release:
Touch1Media Announces the Release of a New Book: Never Would Have Made It: The Rise of Tyler Perry, The Most Powerful Entertainer in Black America, Written by Melvin Childs. A must read for Tyler Perry fans, Never Would Have Made It is the remarkable true story of success and failure, love and faith. It is a story many can identify with after being jilted in love, life, or business, following years of sacrifice for the success of others only to be cast aside, without receiving credit or reward for loyalty during hard times. In this riveting account, Childs reveals secret backroom deals, illicit cash, backstabbing, and double-dealing. This book is a portrait of human nature, big business, betrayal, and finding forgiveness.
And there's more…
Melvin Childs is a former radio executive (now promoter/producer) with several claims against Tyler Perry, including: his chance meeting with Tyler Perry, long before most of had heard of the man, that changed both of their lives forever; that they were friends before Tyler betrayed him; that he discovered Tyler Perry; that there's a different side of Tyler Perry than the image he publicly projects; that Tyler severed their relationship with no explanation and used his (Childs') original marketing blueprint to help create the framework for the future Tyler Perry Hollywood brand, despite the fact that he was a mentor, producer, and friend to Tyler Perry; that he (Childs) revolutionized the marketing format for black theater with Tyler Perry's first play; that he (Childs) made huge sacrifices with his family for Tyler Perry's sake; and of course the aforementioned secret backroom deals, illicit cash, backstabbing, and double-dealing.
Yes, this is a real book folks; I'm not making this shit up. You can buy it right now in digital format via its website; or you can wait for the hard copy which the press release says will be at retailers in January/February.
Tyler Perry will likely have to respond to this eventually, especially as news of the book spreads; I don't see how he couldn't. I'll be looking for another one of his messages to his fans via his website.
And I'm no legal expert, but I'd assume that Tyler would most certainly have grounds to sue or block the book's release if any of its content is deemed inaccurate or slanderous. There's even a trailer for the book, which I embedded below. It summarizes everything with moving images and a voiceover, including some shots of guns, bags of cash exchanging hands, blurred faces, hand shakes, and other suggested *shadiness.*
The tagline reads…
If you are a Tyler Perry fan or have been hurt by someone you believe in, then Never Would Have Made It is a must read. This book shares how faith can make you whole again.
Watch the dramatic book trailer below, which actually looks like it could be a Tyler Perry movie 🙂 (are you buying, or selling?):
