Fact Check: Did Tyler Perry Really Demand Meghan Markle Return $16 Million? Here’s the Truth

Alright, here is the gist: a couple of YouTube channels are stirring up a new Meghan-and-Harry storyline, and it drags Tyler Perry into the middle of it. Perry has not said a word about this publicly, but the rumor mill says he wants the couple to pay him back for all the help he gave them when they left the royal bubble. Add in a massive lawsuit he is fighting right now, and the timing is… notable.

The repayment rumor (and why it is messy)

Perry, 56, has not publicly asked for a dime. That is important. The chatter is coming from creators on YouTube, not from Perry or his team.

In a video on the Leilani of Barbados channel, the host claims Perry took notice of Meghan Markle’s PR push suggesting she has earned around $16 million since exiting royal life, and that she is positioning herself as a successful businesswoman. The channel’s take: if that is true, Perry allegedly wonders why he has not been paid back for everything he fronted in 2020 — namely the luxury house he put them up in (pegged at $18 million in the video), private jet trips, and security costs.

Another YouTuber, Scarlet Scoop, frames it as an actual loan: roughly $16 million to cover the Montecito setup, full-time security, and the early phase of their Hollywood life. Note the numbers do not even match — $18 million in one version, $16 million in the other — and none of it is backed by Perry on the record. File this under unverified internet gossip unless or until someone with firsthand knowledge confirms it.

What Perry has actually said on the record

Perry has generally tiptoed around talking about Meghan and Harry. In a Sunday Times interview, when asked how he helped them move to the U.S., he immediately shut it down.

'I didn’t.'

He bristled at the line of questioning, basically saying Meghan is from California and did not need him to teach her how to live there. He also pointed out that anything he says about the couple turns into a headline, which is why he avoids the topic altogether. When pressed about the nonstop coverage in the UK and the U.S., he batted it back, saying he does not pay attention to that world.

How we got here: the Perry–Sussex connection

Back in 2020, after the royal exit, Perry offered the couple a safe place to land — before he had even met them, and he was not at their wedding. The friendship grew from there; he is now godfather to their daughter, Lilibet. In Netflix’s 'Harry & Meghan', he described why he stepped up: he knows how success can twist family dynamics, and he empathized with Meghan.

'My house is safe... You are going to stay as long as you need. I am going to get you there safely and keep you there safely until you have somewhere to go.'

Meghan also told The Cut that Perry had told her to call if she ever needed advice. It took her a while, but when she did, she unloaded the full situation. She later showed up to celebrate him at the Paley Honors gala in December 2024.

The legal storm Perry is dealing with right now

While the internet speculates about repayments, Perry is busy with a serious legal fight. Actor Derek Dixon — who worked on Perry’s shows 'The Oval' and 'Ruthless' — filed a 46-page lawsuit seeking $260 million in damages, alleging a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic. In an Oct. 1 filing, Perry’s legal team flatly denied it all, calling the claims 'profoundly disappointing, cynical, and false' and saying Dixon has twisted what they describe as platonic friendship and professional mentorship into something it was not. None of these allegations have been proven in court.

Where Meghan and Harry stand on all this

They have said nothing. Radar Online claims sources told them the couple is staying quiet on purpose because they do not want to get dragged into Perry’s case — a stance some observers are calling hypocritical given how much he helped them. Again, that is tabloid sourcing, not a statement from Harry and Meghan or Perry.

• 2020: After leaving royal life, Meghan and Harry stay at Perry’s home under his protection; at that point, they still had not met him. He later becomes Lilibet’s godfather.
• 2022: Netflix’s 'Harry & Meghan' documents Perry’s support and his empathy for Meghan’s family fallout.
• Oct. 1 (recent filing): Actor Derek Dixon sues Perry for $260 million; Perry’s team denies the allegations.
• Late 2024–now: YouTube channels claim Perry wants repayment as Meghan touts her business moves (including her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle push). Perry himself has not said that publicly.

The bottom line

The numbers floating around ($16 million, $18 million, jets, security) are coming from YouTubers, not court filings or Perry’s PR. Perry’s on-record stance is to avoid feeding the circus, and the only thing he has been crystal clear about lately is not talking about the Sussexes. Until someone on the inside speaks up, this is more rumor than reality — just very dramatic rumor with some very behind-the-scenes details.