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Tyler Perry’s Open Letter to Penn State “Survivor”: A Subtle Nudge for Everyone Else

Tyler Perry is a huge media mogul. When it comes to Hollywood, according to Forbes he’s the King of the Hill. He’s got so much influence and such vast resources that he could easily jump-start any charitable or awareness organization within minutes if he wanted to. But now he’s done something better and something even more important: he spoke up.

In light of the massive child molestation and sexual abuse scandal which was recently uncovered at Penn State, and the global coverage which the trial of charged sexual predator Jerry Sandusky recieved, Tyler Perry wanted to take the first step towards real change and awareness.

And all he had to do was write a letter.

Being a victim of rape and sexual abuse himself, and openly discussing the trauma of his experience, Tyler Perry has already opened the door for discussion of an issue which happens to one in four women in college. Now he has released an open letter to an 11-year old boy who was sexually abused and raped by Jerry Sandusky.

The power behind this letter is not solely based upon Tyler Perry’s heartfelt words (as strong and beautiful as they are). This letter is important because Tyler Perry did what everyone involved in this horrendous scandal now wish they could have done: use their voices. Tyler Perry has the power to start organizations and charities but he took a step in this letter which, in my opinion, outdoes such efforts (which are, of course, very admirable). In this letter Tyler Perry made a conscious decision to help remove the stigma attached to such a heartbreaking incident and demonstrated how we should all willingly open our eyes to such devastating problems and stand in solidarity against them.

If Tyler Perry, one of the world’s busiest producers, actors, directors, and GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE has the time to write a lengthy, meaningful letter and speak up about an issue that truly does need to change now, then we all can. Whether its social, political, cultural, or humanitarian, we all need to start taking a stand for the issues (sexual abuse and otherwise) which are ruining the world every single day and, just like Tyler Perry, start using our voices, already. Because even when no amount of words could ever change the sad past, it can keep it from recurring in our future.

Here is Tyler Perry’s open letter to the 11 year-old “survivor”:

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!

I must tell you, what you have done is so courageous. 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 that age.

I was a very poor young black boy in New Orleans, just a face without a name, swimming in a sea of poverty trying to survive. Forget about living, I was just trying to exist. I was enduring a lot of the same things that you’ve come forward and said happened to you, and it was awful. I felt so powerless. I knew what was happening to me, but unlike you, I couldn’t speak about it because no one saw me. I was invisible and my voice was inaudible.

So to think that you, when you were only 11 years old, spoke up—you are my hero! I’m so proud of you. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I want you to know you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not your fault. Please know that you were chosen by a monster. You didn’t choose him. You didn’t ask for it and, most of all, you didn’t deserve it. What a huge lesson that was for me to learn. Your 11-year-old self was no match for wicked, evil tactics of this kind. You were hunted like prey. A pedophile looks for the young boys he thinks he can manipulate. The ones who have daddy or mommy issues, the ones who are broken, and the ones who are in need. But this wasn’t you.

Do you know that at the young age of 11 you had more courage than all the adults who let you down? All of the ones who didn’t go to the proper authorities, all of the ones who were worried about their careers, reputations, or livelihoods. All of the ones who didn’t want to get involved. Or even the ones who tried to convince your mother not to fight. You are stronger than them all! I wonder what they would have done if it were their own child.

I had a few of those adults in my life, too. 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. And yes, this was someone who was in power and could have called the police, but instead this person allowed this criminal to go on molesting other young boys for many years. When I did tell a family member, I wasn’t believed. I suffered in silence. But not you, my young strong hero, you have done what many of us wish we could have done. You used your voice!

You know, now that you’re older you need to be aware that the aftermath of abuse may affect you for a very long time. But that’s OK; just know that the strength it took for you to talk about it then will help you get through it now. I often tell myself that if I made it through that experience as a child, then surely as a man I should be able to get past it. It still may take you a while, but that’s OK too. I have known people who have gone through the same things that we have, but unfortunately they were never able to admit it, and it destroyed them. They never went for help, and they let the abuse defeat them. Some of them went to prison for crimes, some are addicted to drugs, and some have even committed suicide. I know that none of these things will happen to you. You are too strong for that!

No matter what happens next, just know that the hardest part is over. I wish the coward and very sick individual who hurt you would have the courage to admit his wrong and not put you through a trial. But he will most likely profess his innocence until the bitter end. And probably, all the while, yelling at the top of his lungs about all he has done to help troubled young boys.

You may have to go through with that trial, and you may feel all alone when you’re on that witness stand, but just know that 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. You may not know all of our faces and names, but 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.