Meghan Markle explains why she chose billionaire Tyler Perry as daughter Lilibet’s godfather

(Image credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Baby2Baby and Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala/Future)

By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse

published 17 December 2022

in News

Meghan Markle has explained how billionaire Hollywood producer Tyler Perry helped her and Prince Harry during a time of need, and has shared how the couple decided to make him Lilibet's godfather.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have opened up in their docuseries, Harry & Meghan, about how their friend Tyler Perry helped them during their move to America.
Tyler Perry also appeared in the Netflix show to share his side of the story and detail what made him reach out to the couple in the first place.
In other royal news, Meghan Markle reveals Archie's former nanny Lorren 'took care' of her in Netflix docuseries

It may have been short, but Harry & Meghan has been filled with bombshells, hurtful accusations and a lot, a lot, of tears. But in the sixth and final instalment of the couple's Netflix series, Harry and Meghan told the heartwarming story of how billionaire Hollywood producer Tyler Perry came to their rescue during a time of need.

When Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals back in 2020, the pair were a little lost. The couple says that after their temporary home in Vancouver Island was swarmed by paparazzi and they were left without government-provided security, they felt they had nowhere safe to go. It was at this time Perry offered them his $18 million Beverly Hills mansion, private security, and a personal plane to secretly transport them, their son, Archie, Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, their dogs, and more than a dozen suitcases from Canada to California.

Recalling the kind offer, Meghan explained, “He [was] like, ‘My house is safe.… You’re going to stay as long as you need. And I’m going get you there safely. And I’m gonna keep you there safely until you have somewhere to go.”

In a video taken during their journey on Perry's plane, Harry revealed that he and Meghan Markle had not even met Perry before he opened up his home to them. “This is the current situation, thanks to another amazing friend, whom we’ve never met, but who believes in us and wants to help,” he said.

During the episode, Perry explained that Harry and Meghan’s story resonated so deeply with him that he felt the need to reach out to the couple before their wedding in 2018. He explained, “I’m not a royal watcher…but I saw something about her father. I found it to be hurtful if he were my father, and I couldn’t even imagine this woman finding the man that she loved, the man of her dreams, and him being a prince, and having to walk into all of that madness and need the security of your family, and then have your father do some horrible things.

“When my life changed and success started to come, family members became different people. And I know how hurtful and horrible it can be. I immediately empathised with her. This was before the wedding. And I sent her a note, just praying for her just to be able to move through it and hold on, and let her know that everything in her life had prepared her for this moment, or so I thought.”

Another shot in the docuseries sees Meghan, Harry, and Perry walking around the gardens of the Beverly Hills mansion where the couple stayed during COVID.

Reminiscing on the six weeks the couple stayed there, when the media had no idea where they were, Harry said, “It was bliss.” Though the then family-of-three eventually relocated from Perry’s Beverly Hills estate to their own home in Montecito, the couple wished to keep Perry close to their family and did so with a very special offer.

Perry revealed, “They said, ‘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 honoured. I’d absolutely be honoured.”

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.