Tyler Perry got candid about his past suicide attempts while paying tribute to the late dancer and actor Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
The famed actor and filmmaker shared a video post Wednesday in response to news of Boss’ shocking death on Tuesday, expressing his condolences and offering encouragement to anyone going through a dark time in their life.
“I like the rest of the world and shocked by the passing of Stephen Boss…tWitch,” Perry said.
“And it prompted me to come and talk to any of you that are going through hard times or struggling.”
Perry noted that he only met Boss “a few times.” But in those encounters, “he always full of life and seemed like such a light,” he said.
The Why Did I Get Married? creator went on to speak on the “pain” he’s endured that has pushed him toward suicide.
“I didn’t think it would get any better. I had endured so much pain, so much abuse, sexual abuse,” Perry said.
“It was all so hard to just move through I thought the only way to make this better, this pain to go away is by ending my life,” he said, urging viewers going through similar experiences to “reach out to someone.”
In hindsight, Perry realized that “had any of those attempts happened, I would have missed the best part of my life.”
He also encouraged anyone going through a rough time to try to see the brighter days ahead.
“If you are a person who is considering suicide, ending your life and you’ve already been through a lot of hell, please, please, please think about what the other side could be,” Perry said. “It could be amazing. And you would miss the best part of it going through the darkness. Don’t let the darkness stop you from getting to this incredible place of light.”
The playwright said he’s living proof that things always find a way of working themselves out in the end.
“I’m so glad my attempts didn’t work,” he said.
Boss, 40, died Tuesday. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled his death a suicide, People reported.
