Tyler Perry channels inner Santa Claus, pays off $400K worth of Walmart layaways
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tyler Perry paid off more than $400,000 worth of layaways at two Georgia Walmart stores. (Getty Images)
Tyler Perry channeled his inner Santa Claus and announced on social media Thursday he paid off $400,000 worth of layaway items at two suburban Atlanta Walmart stores.
Perry posted a video telling his followers that if they had layaways at the Walmart stores in East Point and Douglasville, Ga., before 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2018, that they would only have to pay a penny to retrieve them.
“I have paid for all of your layaways for Christmas,” Perry said smiling. “So, Merry Christmas to everybody.”
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The “Madea” creator said he knew people were going through “hard times” and were “struggling” but he said he was “grateful to be able to be in a position to do this.”
The filmmaker spent $434,000 for the layaway items, and said he originally intended his gesture to be anonymous.
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This is not the first time Perry has donated money for good causes. Last year, he donated $1 million to those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.