On social media, Tyler Perry announced the death of the president of Tyler Perry Studios, Steve Mensch. Perry wrote, “This time of year, grief meets me like an unwanted visitor, as tomorrow marks 15 years since the loss of my mother. It feels especially harder because I have lost so many friends and mentors this year, ranging in age from as young as 40 to 92. And today, yet another loss.”
Perry continues, “I’ve been trying to understand this tragedy all day—what went wrong with that plane. Steve loved flying, and he loved that plane; he took so much pride in it. Steve Mensch was truly a kind soul and a great leader at the studio. We all adored him and are devastated that he’s gone. I’m praying for his family as we all try to make sense of this heartbreak. Life is but a moment; we are like vapors. Hold strong to the people you love AND TELL THEM!”
Mensch’s plane crashed in Homosassa, roughly 60 miles north of Tampa. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane is registered to Mensch’s home address in the Atlanta area.
Mensch was a key advocate for extending Georgia’s $1 billion annual film tax credit. The tax credit has attracted numerous film and television productions. Mensch is often credited with making Atlanta emerging competition with top-tier film markets like Los Angeles and New York.
Mensch had a successful career in the film industry. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Mensch began lobbying for state subsidies for film and television when he ran the studio operations of Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
