Tyler Perry’s Second Attempt to Help TSA Agents Goes Wrong…Again
Netflix’s Beauty in Black creator, Tyler Perry, is again being met with resistance as he tries to perform a charitable act. TSA agents across the United States haven’t been paid since February 14, with Congress and POTUS still unable to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Wanting to address the financial needs this poses for many TSA employees and their families, Perry has been attempting to act.
It was just on March 26, when reports circulated that the Hollywood giant paid a visit to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, attempting to give monetary donations directly to TSA employees. Unfortunately, Perry’s attempt at performing a good deed didn’t go as planned, as he was informed that federal guidelines prevent government employees from accepting monetary gifts at the airport while on the job.
Specifically, the federal rule, 3.101-2 Solicitation and Acceptance of Gratuities by Government Personnel, states:
“As a rule, no Government employee may solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gratuity, gift, favor, entertainment, loan, or anything of monetary value from anyone who (a) has or is seeking to obtain Government business with the employee’s agency, (b) conducts activities that are regulated by the employee’s agency, or (c) has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties. Certain limited exceptions are authorized in agency regulations.”
Tyler Perry Gives Away Gift Cards, But TSA Workers Asked to Return Them
Now, with stories floating around on the internet that gift cards were being collected and distributed to TSA employees at other airports, Perry had members of his team visit the Atlanta airport and distribute $1,000 gift cards to TSA agents on his behalf over the weekend of March 28. Sadly, according to local area news 11 Alive in Atlanta, by March 29, these same TSA agents were asked to return the gift cards, most likely out of concern that the cards violated the aforementioned federal rule.
According to the 11 Alive story, “Over the weekend, TSA workers who received the gift cards were contacted and told they would need to return them, sources said. The gift cards were valued at $1,000 each, according to those familiar with the distribution.” Additionally, the report suggests this call for the return of the gift cards is coming out of concerns expressed by “the airport’s federal security director.”
As of publication, it’s not quite clear what happens in the case that a TSA agent has received a gift card from Perry and has already used it. And on a personal note, I feel as if it shouldn’t be this hard to just be kind.
Related: Another Rap Legend Joins T.I., Kanye, & Juvenile in Dropping New Albums in 2026