Prince Harry and Meghan have shared more details on their friendship with entertainment mogul Tyler Perry and how he became their daughter Lili's godfather.
In the second part of their highly anticipated docuseries, titled "Harry & Meghan," released Thursday, the couple spoke about how Perry lent them his home in California to live in when they moved to the United States in March 2020 and how they established a close bond with him.
The Sussexes' move to California came after they announced in January 2020 that they were stepping down as senior working members of the royal family.
MORE: Duchess Meghan details effects of intense media scrutiny, facing suicidal thoughtsPerry shared in the final episode of the six-part series that he wasn't a "royal watcher" but noticed tabloid reports concerning Meghan and her estranged father Thomas Markle and felt for her. "When my life changed and success started to come, family members became different people, and I know how hurtful that can be and how horrible it can be," Perry said. "I immediately empathized with her."
He said he had reached out to Meghan before Harry and Meghan's 2018 wedding, sharing a note of support. It wasn't until early 2020 that Meghan would take Perry up on his offer to help their family out if they ever needed anything.
"One day when we were in Canada, I had called him, finally after years at that point, first time we ever spoke, and I was just a wreck," she said. "I was just crying and crying."
She said she was able to open up to Perry, sharing all of the "fears" she had at that moment in time.
MORE: Prince Harry says Prince William 'screamed and shouted' at him in meeting over his and Meghan's royal split
"She was afraid of them destroying her, or going crazy, or them making her think she was crazy," Perry said about their conversation, adding that he felt her fears were "valid." The Sussexes had been living in Vancouver Island, Canada, since stepping down from their senior royal roles, where Harry said they were "unprotected" with "no security."
"They just wanted to be free," Perry said. "They wanted to be free to love and be happy. They did not have a plan ... there was no plan."
Meghan said Perry then offered for them to live in his California mansion, where he ensured they would be safe and could stay for as long as they needed. They lived there for six weeks before the public found out about their location from the media and they said they began to be hounded by the paparazzi.
"I've been in that house for many, many, many years," Perry said. "And across the canyon are all these other celebrities, and no one had seen an assault like this."
The couple later moved out of Perry's home. Providing support to the couple had an impact, as Harry and Meghan went on to ask Perry to be their daughter Lili's godfather after her birth in June 2021.
Reflecting on the moment the couple asked him, Perry shared, "We'll call and we'll chat and we'll talk about silly things, and they were pretty serious on the phone. I go, 'Okay, what's going on?"
He continued, "They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa.' I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honored. I'd absolutely be honored.' "
"And I got off the phone, took it all in and then I called them back," he added. "I go, 'Uh, hold on a second. Does this mean we got to go over there and do all of that in the church with them and figure all that out? Because I don't want to do that.' Maybe we can do a little private ceremony here and let that be that, and if you have to do it there, then that's OK."
MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan discuss race, protecting their children and more in new docuseriesAlong with discussing their family life in California in the docuseries, Harry and Meghan also speak about everything from their relationships with Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, to the impact of intense scrutiny from the media.
Read more on the biggest revelations from the six-part series here.
Members of the royal family have not commented on the docuseries.
