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Tyler Perry says 'reverse racism' sparked criticism of 'Too Close to Home'

ATLANTA — Tyler Perry says "reverse racism" led some to criticize his TLC drama series "Too Close to Home."

The eight-episode series, about a D.C. operative who seeks shelter from political intrigue in an Alabama trailer park, stars a mostly white cast, including Heather Locklear, Danielle Savre and Brock O’Hurn. O'Hurn also landed a role in Perry’s Halloween comedy “Boo! A Madea Halloween.”

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"I'm so sick of folks asking me why I have a show full of white folks," Perry said during an August interview with Atlanta's WALR-FM.

“A reporter asked me this. I’m thinking, 'What the hell?' Stop asking me that damn question. People are people!”

More recently, Perry told The Associated Press that "reverse racism" was the cause of the controversy.

“That’s totally reverse racism, because it was coming from African-American people,” he said. “I don’t know if it was because they thought I should only be giving jobs to black people. Well, I think that’s ridiculous. If you look at the hundreds of black people I’ve given jobs to and even the ones I’ve made millionaires, people of color, I just think it’s unfair.”