How Tyler Perry Really Felt About Working With Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian made headlines when she was cast in Tyler Perry's "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor." She played Ava, a good friend of the main character Judith, played by Jurnee Smollett. Prior to signing onto the film, the reality TV star had heard nothing but positives from people who had worked with Perry. "So when I got the call, I was so excited cause I've been a big fan of Tyler's for a long time," she told Rotten Tomatoes leading up to the movie's release in 2013.
Not everyone was thrilled to see Kardashian cast in a Perry film, and there was immediate backlash in 2011 when her role in "Temptation" was announced. Many fans of the "Madea's Family Reunion" director voiced their displeasure on Perry's website. "I have always loved your movies ... I will boycott the movie if Kim Kardashian is in it," one disgruntled fan wrote at the time, according to The Grio. There was a slew of fans who took issue with Kardashian's divorce from Kris Humphries, which happened right before the casting announcement, and believed "The Kardashians" star's marriage had been a hoax. A petition, which had picked up traction, was even started to get Kardashian removed from Perry's movie.
In response to the backlash, Perry released a statement on his website defending his choice to cast the E! network celebrity. After filming wrapped, he spoke about how he enjoyed directing Kardashian, and why her performance would surprise people.
Tyler Perry loved Kim Kardashian's sense of humor
Tyler Perry didn't take long to address the backlash from casting Kim Kardashian in "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor." The fan disapproval coincided with Kardashian's divorce, which Perry said happened between the time he had hired her, and when the casting was made public. "I thought and still do think, that it would be very responsible of her to be a part of this film," the director wrote in November 2011 (via Us Weekly). Perry believed that having the SKIMS honcho in a film about the repercussions of cheating on a spouse could potentially enlighten fans. "Millions of young people adore her and are following her every move," he added.
A few years after "Temptation" was released, a fan asked Perry how it was to work with Kardashian. The "Why Did I Get Married?" director had high praise for the reality TV star. "Kim is very, very professional," Perry said on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2016. "She's on time, she's prompt, she does what she's supposed to do. She was really great to work with." While promoting the film in 2013, Perry mentioned how Kardashian's personality had shone through on-screen. "She's just very direct and to the point — and she's funny," he told Fandango at the time. Kim Coleman, the casting director for "Temptation," also praised Kardashian's on-set behavior. "She just fit perfectly with everyone else," Coleman told Vibe in 2013.
After working together, Perry and Kardashian appeared to form a bond.
When Tyler Perry roasted Kim Kardashian's Met Gala outfit
Not only did Tyler Perry enjoy working alongside Kim Kardashian, but the feeling was apparently mutual as the pair shared several memorable moments together after filming "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor." In 2021, the "Alex Cross" star mocked Kardashian's black head-to-toe black Balenciaga outfit she wore to the Met Gala. He posted a clip of the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star to Twitter and added commentary in the voice of his popular Madea character. "This is why I will never speak to Kim Kardashenen again," Perry tweeted while claiming, as the Madea character, that Kardashian stole the idea of the head-turning outfit from her. Kardashian took the roasting in stride and reacted with a series of cry-laughing emoji while retweeting the clip.
"Temptation" was not Perry and Kardashian's last collaboration. Both lent their voices to characters for "PAW Patrol: The Movie." Kardashian had been hand-selected for the part. "Kim's character is a new character being created for her specifically in the film," a source told People in 2020.
A year after the animated film was released, Perry was on-hand for a special moment for Kardashian. The media personality was the recipient of The Giving Tree Award at the Baby2Baby gala in 2022. The "Gone Girl" actor was chosen to present the award to Kardashian, who had donated $500,000 to Baby2Baby, while also giving more than $5 million "worth of in-kind items" to the charity, according to The Hollywood Reporter.