Tyler Perry is continuing his legacy of good deeds after lending his voice to advocate for an elderly South Carolina woman. Josephine Wright, 93, is in an ongoing legal battle with Bailey Point Investment LLC developers over her 1.8-acre land and their plans for a 147-home community.
The Hilton Head native has called the land home for 30 years, but the property has been in her family dating back to the end of the Civil War. Bailey Point is developing 27 acres right behind Wright’s. In a WSAV news report, she explained that developers claim her porch encroaches upon their land. As a result, they filed a lawsuit. She previously paid around $1,900 to move a shed but feels the suit is proof of ongoing harassment she has faced since turning down an offer to sell her property to the developers.
The entertainment mogul caught wind of her fight to retain ownership of her home. “‘I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life,’ said 93-year-old Josephine Wright. Well, that makes two of us. Ms. Wright, please tell [me] where to show up and what you need to help you fight,” wrote Perry in a June 29 Instagram post, where he shared the news report. To date, it has received more than 7,000 comments from people, including celebrities, pledging their support.
Earlier this year, Perry committed to donating $2.57 million to help senior citizens with fixed incomes retain their homes that are located around Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. “I knew that the success of my studio would affect all the property values around it. But make no mistake: the seniors on fixed incomes around the studio will not lose their homes because of past due or rising taxes… no, sir!! We ain’t doing that to our legacy,” he wrote in a post.
Charise Graves, Wright’s granddaughter, has also launched a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $250,000 to cover attorney fees, build a fence around her property, and cover property taxes. At the time of this report, Saturday (July 1), more than $145,200 had been raised. The biggest donation was in the amount of $40,000 from Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.