Tyler Perry responds to criticism over 'Madea' character

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The 53-year-old filmmaker claimed he used Madea to honour "the people that made me who I am."

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He discussed Spike's comments on Chris Wallace's new HBO Max show.

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Spike, 65, criticised Madea in 2009 for promoting harmful black stereotypes.

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Perry said, "I've enjoyed my movies because they depict the folks I grew up with."

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"Most of them didn't have a 12th-grade education, but their stories and how much they loved one other, and when they'd become sad, another would come in and make a joke

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'I'm five years old, I'm on the floor with my matchbox cars, I'm in a masterclass for my life.'"

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"When someone says, 'You're harkening back to a moment in our lives we don't want to talk about or we don't want the world to see,' you're disregarding the tales of millions and millions of black people.

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What's important to me is honouring the individuals who taught and made me who I am."

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THANK YOU

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