In March, it was revealed that Tyler Perry was one of the bidders for BET. However, after Paramount scrapped the sale two months later, Perry has now spoken out about his decision not to reconsider purchasing the network if it comes back on the market.
“I was disappointed about it for a number of reasons,” explained the 54-year-old during a Bloomberg Equality Summit in Atlanta on Wednesday (Oct. 18), according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The way it happened was disrespectful in a lot of ways.”
Perry did not elaborate on his disappointment but firmly stated, “Don’t try to get me to pay for something that’s not worth anywhere near the value.” Paramount was reportedly asking for over $3 billion for BET Media Group, which includes BET Networks, BET+, and VH1. Perry declined to raise the funds. When directly asked if he would buy BET if it became available again, he replied, “No.” He added, “God bless [Paramount]. I’m still working with them. I wish them the best.”
Had the deal gone through, Paramount would have retained a minority stake in BET Media Group.
