Tyler Perry’s Studio President Killed in Plane Crash

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Tyler Perry and his colleagues are mourning the loss of Tyler Perry Studios president Steve Mensch, who was killed in a plane crash on Friday night.

“Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta,” the studio said in a statement on Saturday, December 7. “It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”

According to TMZ, Mensch “was the pilot of a single-seat plane that crashed on a road in Homosassa, Florida.” The crash occurred on Friday, December 7, and the cause of the incident is reportedly being investigated.

Mensch, who was 62 years old at the time of his death, served as the president of Tyler Perry Studios since 2016. He was also the general manager of operations at the studio.

Per his LinkedIn bio, the TV and film executive was “considered one of the most influential people in the film and TV production industry in Georgia.”

“He has executive experience in operations, strategic planning, budgeting, business development, and marketing at some of the biggest companies in the industry,” his profile continued. “But, he’s best known for his ability to see opportunities and developments, allowing him to strategically push the industry into new arenas. His efforts have created billions of dollars of economic impact and placed him at the forefront of some of the most groundbreaking projects in TV/Film production history.”

Mensch is survived by his wife and three children.