Who is Yulanda Wilkins? Key facts about her life and ties to Tyler Perry
Yulanda Wilkins is not just a name; she is the older sister of Tyler Perry, a popular American actor and film creator. While her brother's Hollywood success grabs headlines, Yulanda Wilkins has quietly shaped her life away from the media spotlight.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Despite her brother being a prominent film star, Yulanda prefers to stay away from the public limelight.
- Yulanda was born in May 1964 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Yulanda Wilkins' mother, Willie Maxine Perry, succumbed on December 8, 2009.
- She has three younger siblings and two half-siblings from her father's relationship.
Yulanda Wilkin's profile summary
Full name | Yulanda Wilkins |
Date of birth | May 1964 |
Age | 61 years old (as of 2025) |
Place of birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Father | Emmitt Perry Sr |
Mother | Willie Maxine Perry |
Siblings | Melva, Emmitt Perry Jr (Tyler), Emmbre Ryanell, Karen Topps, and Clifton Knox |
Relationship status | Married |
Husband | Antonio Wilkins |
Children | Antonio Jordan Tyler Wilkins |
Profession | Licensed Insurance agent |
Famous as | Tyler Perry's sister |
A look at Yulanda Wilkins' age and background info
Yulanda Wilkins (61 years old as of 2025) was born in May 1964 in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Her mother, Willie Maxine Perry, passed away on December 8, 2009, at the age of 64, after a battle with diabetes. Her father, Emmitt Perry Sr., narrowly escaped a fire incident that destroyed his Louisiana home in 2017.
On February 13, 2014, Yulanda's younger brother, Tyler Perry, took to Instagram to celebrate his mother and also revealed the cause of her death. He captioned,
My mother at age 40, before diabetes destroyed her quality of life. So tragic for something that was preventable or manageable. She would have been 69 today. Happy Birthday, Momma. You have no idea how much I miss you. Take care of yourselves, my friends. Life is but a moment.
Source: Instagram
A look at Yulanda Wilkins' siblings
Yulanda is the eldest of the Perry siblings: Melva, Emmitt Perry Jr (Tyler), and Emmbre Ryanell Perry. She also has two paternal step-siblings, Karen Topps and Clifton Knox.
In a 2006 interview with Newsweek, Yulanda discussed the strained relationship her brother, Tyler, had with their father during their childhood. She said,
Tyler got into some stuff. Maybe daddy was too hard with him. Sometimes he whipped him pretty good. He whipped him with an outdoor cord before. But back then that wasn't considered abuse. My dad, he could only go on what he knew, and that was what he knew. Dad said, 'You know that boy was bad. You know he got into stuff.
During an October 2017 interview with People magazine, Tyler revealed how he managed to forgive his father and how he later learnt that he was not his biological father. He said,
He had a lot of issues. But the thing that helped me get over it and still take care of him today is, I took a moment to find out more about him and his childhood and where he came from, and his was way more horrific than mine. So it kind of formed the person that he was.
During the aforementioned interview with People magazine in 2017, Tyler Perry also discussed the challenges his father, Emmitt Perry Sr., and siblings faced while growing up. He said,
The brutality that he suffered was extreme, so he had no tools in dealing with being a father, being compassionate, being kind. All of that, I feel, had been beaten out of him.
1. Tyler Perry
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Emmitt Perry Jr
- Date of birth: September 13, 1969
- Age: 56 years old (as of 2025)
- Career: Actor, filmmaker, and playwright
- Social media: Instagram
Born on September 13, 1969, Tyler Perry is a prominent actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is known for creating the Madea film franchise. Some of his movies and TV shows include:
- 2025: Divorced Sistas
- 2025: Madea's Destination Wedding
- 2024: The Six Triple Eight
- 2023: Caught Up
- 2020: A Fall from Grace
- 2018: Nobody's Fool
2. Melva Potter
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Melva Potter
- Career: Teaching assistant
Melva Potter is Yulanda Wilkins' younger sister. She is a teaching assistant at St. Helena Early Learning Centre in Greensburg. She married Gary Porter Sr, with whom she welcomed four children: Gary Wayne Porter Jr, Gavin Ryanell, Precious Ann Robinson, and La'Kiya Ja'Nae Knighten.
However, her son, Gavin Ryanell, shot his father after an altercation, which led him to be sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, he took his own life in February 2020 at a Louisiana prison. Tyler Perry took to Instagram on February 28, 2020, and revealed the death of his nephew Gavin.
3. Emmbre Ryanell Perry
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Emmbre Ryanell Perry
- Date of birth: August 18, 1979
- Age: 46 years old (as of 2025)
- Career: Director and producer
Emmbre Perry is the youngest of Yulanda Perry's siblings and has also pursued a career as an actor, producer, and writer. Some of the movies and TV shows he has directed include:
- 2023: The Aquatics
- 2015: Every Family Has Problems
- 2012: No More Games
- 2010: Let God be the Judge
- 2009: God Send Me a Man
Exploring Yulanda Wilkins' career
Tyler Perry's older sister, Yulanda Wilkins, works as an insurance professional. According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked as a licensed insurance agent at Bankers Life and Colonial Penn between 2012 and 2013.
Exploring Emmbre Perry's net worth
The net worths of Yulanda Wilkins and her brother, Emmbre Perry, are not publicly disclosed. However, their other brother, Tyler Perry, has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes. He is ranked as one of the wealthiest actors.
Source: Getty Images
About Yulanda Wilkins' husband and children
According to her mother's obituary, Yulanda is married to Antonio Wilkins. They welcomed a son, Antonio Jordan Tyler Wilkins.
Trivia
- In 2011, Forbes named Tyler Perry the highest-paid person in entertainment, earning $130 million between May 2010 and May 2011.
Conclusion
Yulanda Wilkins is a celebrity sibling best known as Tyler Perry's older sister. Unlike her brother, who is a Hollywood star, Wilkins has a relatively private career as a licensed insurance agent.
READ MORE: About Tyler Perry
Briefly.co.za shared an article on Tyler Perry, a prominent American actor, playwright, and film creator best known for his blockbuster films, including Beauty in Black and Sistas.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
