Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms adds Tyler Perry to transition team

Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms adds Tyler Perry to transition team Advertisement Updated: 4:58 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Matt Cudahy Digital Curator Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms adds Tyler Perry to transition team Updated: 4:58 PM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Matt Cudahy Digital Curator Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms won her election Tuesday, defeating Republican Rick Jackson. She will become the first Black woman to serve as governor in U.S. history. On Friday, she announced her first steps to prepare for office, which include establishing a transition team. One of the most prominent names on that team will be actor and producer Tyler Perry. Advertisement Bottoms introduced Perry as "an entertainment mogul who is also a huge philanthropic part of our Georgia community and owns Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta." Perry, born in Louisiana, has lived in Atlanta for most of the past 35 years. He founded Tyler Perry Studios in 2006 and opened the first location in 2008. The production moved to a much larger location in 2019, where he has shot many of his projects since. "House of Payne," the long-running TV show that he created, is also set in Atlanta. In recent years, Perry has faced allegations of sexual misconduct. In June 2025, Derek Dixon, an actor in a couple of Perry's productions, filed a lawsuit accusing Perry of committing acts of sexual assault and sexual battery against him since 2021. Tyler Perry sued for allegations of sexual harassment and assault Dixon requested $260 million in damages. In December 2025, another actor who appeared in a Perry-led movie, Mario Rodriguez, filed a $77 million sexual battery lawsuit in California state court against both Perry and Lionsgate. However, text messages were later released that seemed to discredit some of Rodriguez's claims against Perry. Other notable names on Bottoms' transition team include Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and Roz Brewer, the former CEO of Sam's Club and COO of Starbucks. Before winning the gubernatorial election, Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta and as an advisor in the Biden administration. Keisha Lance Bottoms makes history as the first Black woman elected governor in the US Make WLWT a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Watch: Giant pandas make much-anticipated debut at Zoo Atlanta 19-year-old to become one of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history Dramatic video: Mother rescues man drowning 'We brought him home': A WWII soldier killed 82 years ago has finally been laid to rest