Viewers learned a lot during the new Harry & Meghan docuseries, but one of the more surprising details involves none other than Tyler Perry – and you’ll never believe why. The 53-year-old filmmaker explained his relationship with the Royal couple, which includes him being the godfather to their youngest child.

The two met in 2018 when Perry sent Markle a letter ‘praying’ for her as she prepared to marry the love of her life amid all the drama going on with her father, Thomas Markle. In the docuseries, Perry explained how he ‘immediately empathized’ with some of the things Meghan was going through at the time.

The two spoke for the first time a few years later – a phone call that had Meghan crying as she opened up about her treatment by the media. “To tell Meghan that I felt her feelings were valid, [that] hurt. I didn’t want to have to say that to her — I didn’t want her to feel that. But I didn’t want to lie to her,” said Perry.

“To use the institution to try and do all the things that a batterer would do — like, ‘Here’s what we’re gonna do: We’re gonna cut off the money, we’re gonna not leave you security, we’re gonna do all those things to make you comply and come back,’” Perry continued, saying the couple was ‘abused’ by the Palace.

Tyler Perry gained respect for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they decided to stay in the United States and doubled down on their decision to step down from their royal duties. In search of somewhere safe to stay with their family – which includes a son and daughter – Perry offered up his LA property.

And the Royal couple accepted. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Harry and Meghan stayed at one of Perry’s homes and enjoyed their life away from the drama. “It was bliss because no one knew we were there,” said Harry, with his wife adding they were able to ‘have a little slice of normal life’ during COVID.

The couple originally shouted out Perry during their bombshell of an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. “We didn’t have a plan,” said Markle in the 2021 interview.”We needed a house and he [Tyler Perry] offered his security as well, so it gave us breathing room to try to figure out what we were going to do.”

Tyler Perry is the Godfather to Lilibet Diana

For his hospitality in the past and continued friendship over the past two years, Tyler Perry was honored in one of the best ways two parents can honor someone. When Harry and Meghan asked him to be the godfather to their youngest child, he didn’t know what to say – which is understandable in that situation.

“I go, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ They said, ‘Well, we’d like for you to be Lili’s godfather.’ I go, ‘Whoa.’ I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, ‘I’d be honored. I’d absolutely be honored,” said Perry in the Harry & Meghan docuseries. He then thought about it and called them back with one condition.

“I called them back and go, ‘Uh, hold on a second — does this mean we gotta go over [to the U.K.] and do all of that in church with [the royal family] and figure all that out? ‘Cause I don’t wanna do that. ‘Maybe we can do a little private ceremony here [in the U.S.] and let that be that,’” Perry continued.

The six-episode docuseries originally aired with the first three episodes on December 8th – the final three episodes dropped last week. You can stream all six episodes on Netflix now to catch up on everything going on with Harry and Meghan today. They cover a lot, but also leave a lot to be questioned later.