Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Tyler Perryhas his eyes on BET.
The writer, director and actor is “very, very interested” inacquiring Paramount’s majority stakein the television network if presented the chance.
“Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor,” Perry, 53, toldEntertainment Tonight. “I’ve been there for four years now and have tremendous success. I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so, yes — if that is possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as much of it as I can.”
“Part of it is — and I’ve read about Byron Allen and [Sean “Diddy” Combs] and everybody wanting to bid and so on and so forth, and I think it’s really great,” Perry said. “This is what I love about it. When [BET co-founder] Bob Johnson sold it in 2000, I think it was, there wasn’t one Black person who could buy it. So now, to see all of these Black people, men and women, who are able to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me feel really, really excited.”
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“And to see Shari at this position saying, ‘I think it should be returned to a Black owner?'” he continued, “I figured, ‘OK. See, that’s my kind of person.'”
“We can very much say that there are conversations. I’m beyond interested,” he said, joking,and there will be a resolution in 22 years."
He teased, “Everything could align.”
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According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Perry has had adeal with Paramountsince 2017, which is up again soon. If Perry is able to acquire BET, he would then own the conglomerate that airs several of his series.
source: people.com
