Entertainment

Tyler Perry’s next project: compound for trafficking victims, others

It’s been a big year for media mogul Tyler Perry.

First, he was praised by Idris Elba and Kerry Washington as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Then Hollywood came to Atlanta to help him open Tyler Perry Studios. The 330-acre  studio is the first black-owned studio lot and is one of the largest in the country. It features 12 sound stages, each of which is each named after an iconic black actor.

» Atlanta's Tyler Perry receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

» Beyoncé moved to tears at Tyler Perry studio opening

But even while all of these honors came his way, his thoughts were about those less fortunate.

In September, he used his personal plane to fly supplies to hurricane ravaged parts of the Bahamas, which he calls his adopted home.

And now he’s focusing on building a shelter for displaced women and youth.

"You know what, right now I'm dreaming about how do I build this shelter for trafficked girls, boys and battered women," he told Essence during his gala event to open his studio.

On Monday, Perry expanded on the project during an interview with the "TODAY" show.

>>WATCH A CLIP FROM THE INTERVIEW BELOW.

And during an interview with Gayle King for CBS, Perry said: "Having a compound that is a beautiful place right here somewhere on this 330 acres, where they're trained in the business and they become self-sufficient, they live in nice apartments, there's day care, there's all of these wonderful things that allows them to re-enter society and then pay it forward again. That's what I hope to do soon."

» Director, actor and now developer: Tyler Perry opens studios with gala

» PHOTOS: Tyler Perry Studios grand opening draws megastars, Atlanta elite

Perry's desire to help abused and displaced people comes from his own experiences. As a child, he was physically abused by his father, whom he called a functioning alcoholic, and sexually abused by three men and a woman, all before the age of 10. Perry opened up about his childhood in a recent issue of People magazine.

“I would challenge anyone who is struggling or trying to figure out what to do to press on because whatever this pain was, there is an opposite. Here I am in it and I’m loving every day,” he told People.

» Tyler Perry explains why he didn't speak about abortion bill when boycott talk was peaking in the spring

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