Tyler Perry Writes Open Letter to Alleged Penn State Victim

In an open letter published on Newsweek’s thedailybeast.com, filmmaker Tyler Perry addresses an 11-year-old boy involved in the Penn State sexual abuse scandal.

Perry’s letter begins by saying: “I don’t know your name, but I know your face. I don’t know your journey, but I know where you are. I am your brother!”

Perry goes on to reveal personal details of his own sexual abuse as a child, and how his voice went unheard when he reached out for help to friends and family. Perry writes, “The strength that it must have taken for your 11-year-old voice to speak out about such a horrible act is something that I didn’t have the strength or courage to do at your age.”  The star calls the boy “my hero.”

Perry also tells the boy: “You have nothing to feel ashamed of. I want you to know you didn’t do anything wrong. Please know that you were chosen by a monster. It’s not your fault. You didn’t ask for it and, most of all, you didn’t deserve it.”

Perry, who first revealed he was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse to Oprah Winfrey in 2010, also writes about some of the adults he knew in his childhood, stating, “They knew and did nothing. One of them even said to me that it was my fault, because I allowed myself to spend time with the molesters.”

Toward the end of the open letter, Perry encourages the boy to go through with the trial: “You may feel all alone on the witness stand, but just know there are millions of young boys and grown men who are standing with you, including me. If every man who has ever been molested would speak up, you would see that we’re all around you.”

Perry ends his letter by saying: “My prayer is that you feel our strength holding you up. You will get through this: you’ve already endured the worst part at age 11. Now fight on, my young friend, fight on! We are all with you.”

Numerous individuals have made claims of sexual abuse against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.  The Harrisburg Patriot-News recently reported that Pennsylvania’s Children and Youth Services is now conducting a probe into two new accusations that were opened within the last 60 days. 

Should authorities confirm the authenticity of the allegations, it would mean Sandusky’s accusers are children since the Children and Youth Services concerns itself only with victims who are under the age of 18.

The 40 current counts of sexual abuse against Sandusky listed in the grand jury indictment involved boys over a 15-year period who are adults now.  Sandusky has maintained his innocence.