Tyler Perry tips $21K to restaurant workers during COVID-19 shutdown

The media mogul surprised 42 servers at an Atlanta Houston's with a $500 tip

Tyler Perry is out here offering cheer to essential restaurant personnel as the country battles the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Tyler Perry is out here offering cheer to essential restaurant personnel as the country battles the novel coronavirus pandemic.

During a trip to a Houston’s restaurant in Atlanta on Sunday, Perry surprised each of the 42 unemployed servers with a $500 tip. Perry apparently loves the restaurant chain and has been frequently driving to a location on Northside Parkway to grab some takeout, according to TMZ.

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Perry’s generosity added up to more than $21,000, way more than the 20 percent tip.

While restaurant servers have been hard hit by the shutdown of indoor dining as the novel coronavirus outbreak ravages on, huge donations like this go a long way in helping workers recoup some of their lost wages due to tips. Adding to the tough time, federal money may get delayed by up to 20 weeks, TMZ reported.

Perry is one of the most generous celebrities in entertainment.

He has flown supplies to hurricane-ravaged areas, including The Bahamas last September after Hurricane Dorian caused significant damages. In November, Perry paid a $14,000 medical bill for an Atlanta couple after they were stranded in Mexico, a source told PEOPLE. Tori Austin and fiancé Stephen Johnson were on a Carnival Dream cruise when Johnson, 31, became ill.  Johnson was later diagnosed with pancreatitis and diabetes. He was admitted and treated at a hospital in Progreso, Mexico and spent several days in intensive care.

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When the couple was told they couldn’t leave the hospital until the bill was paid, Perry helped them out.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed the state has 6,742 COVID-19 cases. According to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 219 people have died from the disease.

Fulton County, in which Atlanta is the county seat, leads the state with 970 cases.

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