The Truth About Tyler Perry And Fantasia Barrino's Relationship

Even though singer Fantasia Barrino might seem like she has it all - a successful career, a loving husband, two beautiful children - the American Idol winner has experienced her fair share of turmoil. She's endured financial hardship, was dragged by the tabloids over an alleged affair with a married man, and nearly passed away from an intentional overdose on sleep aids and aspirin, as TMZ reported. She told radio host Tammi Mac, "A lot of artists that you see, they look like they have it, and we smile and we come out and we put on a good show, but in real life some of them are struggling and we don't have it." When the singer was at one of her lowest points, Fantasia revealed that writer/director Tyler Perry helped her bounce back. She said Perry helped her better understand her financial challenges, and explained, "You look around and you could be working for 10 years, you've got all these people on your team, you're paying this person, that person, and you look up, and you don't have no money in the bank because you've given it to everybody else [...] You have a gift and you're allowing everybody else to profit off of the gift." Perhaps it was the positive relationship between Perry and Barrino that inspired one of her most profound decisions. Although the road back was rough, Barrino said she spent the years after her overdose "building [her]self back up." And in a symbolic act of self-love, Fantasia "married" herself. As she told talk show host Harry Connick Jr., "I felt like before true love could come I needed to learn how to love myself again. [...] I was so busy trying to take care of everybody else, so busy looking for that love that I was ending up in all the wrong situations. [...] And so I said I'm going to marry myself." Barrino now wants to do for others what Perry did for her - to pay it forward by serving as an inspiration for those who've faced seemingly insurmountable pain. She told the Chicago Tribune, "It's been a massive journey of so many great and bad things, but all necessary. I've got to get out here to be present with people and show them love and how you can fall down but get back up." Perry once called Barrino "one of the great singers of all time," which probably explains why she was invited to perform at one of the biggest events of her friend's career, his Madea Farewell Play Tour. Apparently, Barrino was in the audience during the live show's stop in Charlotte, North Carolina when, according to B.E.T., she was, quote, "put on the spot to spread a little joy with her powerhouse voice." Fans in attendance were surely thrilled when she grabbed a microphone and started singing her 2006 hit, 'When I See You' in the aisle of the theater. Perry took to Instagram on February 17th, 2020, to share the footage of Barrino belting out her tune, captioning the cool moment, "That time Madea asked [Fantasia] to sing during our R&B medley. Yeap that really happened in Charlotte at [Madea's Farewell Tour]!!" Of course, this isn't the only time Barrino has used her singing skills to help out Perry. The ever-generous Perry wanted to, quote, "spread joy" in March 2020, which is why he enlisted Barrino and other stars on Instagram for the "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" challenge, a nod to the spiritual song of the same name. The producer then explained how the challenge worked, noting that, after he started the song, other stars would pitch in their rendition of the lyrics. Fellow American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson, Glee actress Amber Riley, and many others participated in the sing-along, culminating in a moving performance of the classic tune. Perry including Barrino in this challenge is just another example of how much he values the singer's talent. Watch the video to find out The Truth About Tyler Perry And Fantasia Barrino's Relationship! #TylerPerry #AmericanIdol #FantasiaBarrino