Tyler Perry’s “Ruthless” Leaves Viewers Shocked Following Inclusion Of Graphic Sexual Assault Scene

A graphic scene explicitly showing gang rape in the latest episode of Tyler Perry’s Ruthless has left fans stunned. The scene appeared in Season 4, Episode 13 of the long-running drama about a woman seeking escape from a sexually exploitative religious cult. While the show has often dealt with heavy topics. However, this moment appeared to go beyond the pale for many viewers.

“Tyler Perry is going to hell. He genuinely hates black women. He despises black women. I have no doubt that he spends his time trying to figure out how he can depict harm coming to black women. There is ZERO reason to show that type of violence happening to black women,” one fan on X wrote. Meanwhile, others called or an immediate boycott of Perry’s work. Furthermore, another line of thinking was to link Tyler Perry to Vince McMahon, who was recently accused of sexual assault.

Ruthless Scene Derails Promotion For Other Tyler Perry Projects

I wish I had never come across that clip from Tyler Perry’s show and those of you retweeting it need to be mindful of others who have been assault victims seeing that and being triggered.

— B. (@yogihoagie) February 2, 2024

However, the ripples have gone far beyond the pond as the response to the scene in Ruthless spreads. Fans also took aim at Perry for co-opting the stories of women (while explicitly showing harm to them as well). This manifested in the response to the first released images of Six Triple Eight. The Kerry Washington-led film, directed by Perry, tells the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all-women overseas battalion during World War Two.

The Six Triple Eight is a deeply overlooked piece of military history, serving as the only predominantly all-Black Women’s Army Corps battalion during the Second World War. However, especially in the wake of the latest episode of Ruthless, many have questioned by Perry is the one directing the project. The irony of a man directing the story about an overlooked part of women’s history has not been lost on many commenters.