Tire Nichols from Death Reactions Hollywood

As the world mourns the 29-year-old Memphis native, several prominent celebrities have pleaded with fans not to watch the violent video of his death.

The death of Tire Nichols, the 29-year-old Memphis man who was fatally shot by police earlier this month, made new headlines this week when body camera footage of the killing was released. The haunting footage of Nichols yelling after his mother, explaining that he was just trying to get home, has sparked renewed debate in the United States about issues surrounding police brutality and the apparent inability to do so.

As the tragic video made the rounds on social media, Tyler Perry took to his personal Instagram account to mourn Nichols’ death and begged his followers not to let footage of the beating become entertainment.

“I said that for my own peace of mind, for my own sanity, for the hope of what was left of the human race, I would not watch another black man be horribly murdered,” Perry wrote. “I would refuse this time. I wanted to have the luxury of many people in the world who can easily turn it off. A lot of people can’t even imagine that happening to them, because frankly, it never will. I decided to see what that space felt like, cover my ears and not let it out. I knew it wasn’t possible, because when some people hate the outside, it doesn’t matter what’s inside, even if it looks like them inside.”

Perry continued, “So today I’m going to cry, I’m going to be depressed, I’m going to swear, I’m going to be upset, I’m going to burn some shit, I’m going to agonize, I’m going to let my heart break for his family, he’s going to whine with his tenor harmony based on my own experience, that is every black man that ever called for the safety of mama’s arms, i will scream unheard.

Perry was far from the only prominent entertainment personality to speak out about Nichols’ death. Many of her Hollywood peers paid tribute to Nichols and shared Perry’s opinion of not letting the video become a sensation. Read on for a recap of celebrity reactions to Nichols’ death.

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