• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Clinical Trials
  • Resources
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare 2025
    • Hall Of Fame
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Obesity Resource Center
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • BDO Resource Library
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Parenting / Tyler Perry Actor, David Mann at 59: Manning Up for Faith and Family

Tyler Perry Actor, David Mann at 59: Manning Up for Faith and Family

(Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP)

One of the funniest couples on television can undoubtedly be found on Tyler Perry’s hit television series, “Meet the Browns,” “Madea Goes to Jail,” and “A Madea Homecoming”. .

Grammy®-Award Nominated, NAACP Image Award-Winning Vocalist Tamela Mann and her husband NAACP Image Award-Winning Actor David Mann has been making audiences laugh for decades.

Mann was born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. He has been married to Tamela Mann since 1988; they were both previous members of Kirk Franklin‘s vocal ensemble “The Family” before working with Tyler Perry. In 2018, he and Tamela recorded a romantic soul album together called Us Against the World.

On their reality shows, “It’s A Mann’s World,”  and “Mann and Wife,” the show follows the lives of the Texas-based power couple and their family as they juggle their successful entertainment careers, marriage and adventures with the family, including their journey to a healthy lifestyle.

You May Also Like
Clinical Trials Need A Diverse Representation Of Participants Like You To Help Advance Research! Clinical Trials Need A Diverse Representation Of Participants Like You To Help Advance Research!

David & Tamela Mann: Through the Years

But it wasn’t always fun and games for the loving couple. If you want to see what they looked like before, take a look here.

“It was five years into the marriage, and we had the knock at the door, and surprise,” said Tamela.

“I have another child by another woman that happened before our marriage,” admits David in a 2018 interview. “But that, just to kind of give a backstory on it…that’s where the ‘Us Against The World’ [album] title and saying came from was from that knock at the door… It was the knock at the door, and Tam was kind of like, ‘I’m not going to be able to do this.'”

You May Also Like
Psoriatic Arthritis Can Feel Beyond Your Control. Consider a Different Direction. Learn More Here. Psoriatic Arthritis Can Feel Beyond Your Control. Consider a Different Direction. Learn More Here.

“Because we’re blended,” explained Tamela. “We already had, one child when we started out as a couple, and I didn’t really know where I fit in.

(Click here for family pics)

I felt like I was going to be kind of lost in the shuffle of things. It’s like, well, ‘Where do I fit in here?'”

 

“Once I set her down and had to break it down and explained to her, ‘Look, I love my kids,'” said David. “I’m a stand-up guy. I’m going to make sure I take care of my kids. But at the end of the day, you are my priority.

It’s us against everything else. It’s us against the world. It’s us against anything that will come against tearing us apart.”

David was born in Forth Worth, Texas and 2018 marks 30 years of marriage for him and Tamela. Both David and Tamela were members of Kirk Franklin’s vocal ensemble “The Family” before working with Tyler Perry.

Manning up for his health

Just like many of us would have to, the loving couple had to readjust their lives in order to deal with the news of David being diagnosed with diabetes.

When David found out he had diabetes, it was obviously a shock to the couple. Like so many with diabetes, the challenges of making lifestyle changes can be difficult.

But David and Tamela, who’ve been married for over 25 years, have managed to find the right balance, make the necessary changes, juggle busy acting schedules, and find the support and strength they need by relying on each other.

“We both lean on each other a lot,” David says. “When I am weak, Tamela is strong, and when she is weak, I am strong.”

 

 

Like many successful couples, Tamela has been actively making necessary changes to support not only her husband’s health, but her own. Not that it’s been easy.

In addition to her already busy schedule, the powerhouse vocalist has been promoting her chart-topping, award-winning album, doing her reality show, making appearances, producing new music and still finds time to be a mother.

She also recently made an appearance on The King’s Men Tour with Kirk Franklin, belting out “Now Behold the Lamb.”

Despite everything she has going on, Tamela has also been successful at losing weight, and attributes that success to a lot of hard work and faith.

 

dtmann
(Click to see David and Tamela Mann: Through the Years)

“I’m trying to keep this weight off,” Tamela said during an interview. “I’m working out. I have a trainer. I’m trying to eat right, not a whole lot of desserts. No sodas.”

She also added, “As a family, we all worked together to cut down on sugar and starches and we really watch our portions.”

Divorce Rumors: Are they Real?

With AI making it’s way in every aspect of our lives, the couple became victims of AI bots and AI-generated videos that alleged everything from divorce to David poisoning his wife and having an affair with Married To Medicine star Dr. Jackie Walters. In the beginning clip, a faint, robotic voice can be heard talking about the Mann family.

“Somebody is doing some tomfoolery,” exclaimed David in the Instagram Live broadcast. “We sitting here on vacation, and we chilling together, and we find out we getting a divorce. Well, ain’t nobody told us!

“Stop believing this mess. I’m not sick,” Tamela followed up. “The thing is, I don’t understand why people want to lie. My family has been calling me, and they think that I’m dying….it’s so sad.”

The gospel music stars then confirmed that they were unaware of who was behind the YouTube video uploads.

“Get you something to do. Go get you a job. Whatever kind of job you need and stop trynna put business in the streets, that’s not even true,” suggested Tamela to the person behind the allegations. She continued, “I just thought we would come on live and let y’all know that we’re okay. We’re not getting divorced. Our love is true. And we’re still hanging together. It’s been 37 years, and we’re still in love.

(Photo credit: instagram.com)

Visit the BlackDoctor.org Diabetes center for more articles. 

By Derrick Lane | Published August 6, 2024

August 6, 2024 by Carter Higgins, BDO Contributor

The Latest In Parenting

I’m a Pediatrician and Mom—Here’s How I Make Doctor Visits Kid-Friendly

For many children, a trip to the doctor brings anxiety, tears, and endless questions. But Jacksonville-based pediatrician Dr. Letisha Jefferson—known affectionately as Dr. J—is on a mission to change that narrative. A practicing pediatrician for over a decade, Dr. Jefferson read more about I’m a Pediatrician and Mom—Here’s How I Make Doctor Visits Kid-Friendly
child care

New Mexico Could Become First to Offer Free Childcare for All Income Levels

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently proposed offering free child care to all families, regardless of income, aiming to use revenue from oil and gas production to remove the state’s current income eligibility limit starting November 1. State lawmakers read more about New Mexico Could Become First to Offer Free Childcare for All Income Levels
parent burnout

7 Tell-Tale Signs of Parent Burnout

You’ve probably only heard of burnout when it comes to your job. However, you can definitely get to that state as a parent, too. Unfortunately, many parents don’t recognize the signs of burnout and accept it as the way things read more about 7 Tell-Tale Signs of Parent Burnout
empty nest

Empty Nest Syndrome? Back-to-School Tips for Parents Too

When kids head back to school—or move away to college—parents often feel the shift just as much, if not more. The quiet house, the empty chair at dinner, and the sudden break in routine can spark what’s known as empty read more about Empty Nest Syndrome? Back-to-School Tips for Parents Too
verbal abuse

Why How We Speak to Kids Matters More Than We Think

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” For generations, parents and teachers repeated this familiar saying to children as a way of encouraging resilience against bullies and harsh words. But according to new research, read more about Why How We Speak to Kids Matters More Than We Think
breastfeeding

15 Breastfeeding Secrets For Every New Black Mom

Doctors always recommend breastfeeding up to the age of six months, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to accomplish. In fact, getting a newborn to breastfeed doesn’t always come as naturally as new parents would like. If you have a read more about 15 Breastfeeding Secrets For Every New Black Mom

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Icon

A Black Women's Guide To Beating Breast Cancer

1 file(s) 967 KB
Download

Trending Articles

How to Remove Mucus from Lungs Naturally: 5 Effective Ways to Breathe Easier

how to get rid of mucus

8 Ways to Care for Hidradenitis Suppurativa Wounds

8 Ways to Care for Hidradenitis Suppurativa Wounds

This Clinical Trial Is Making HIV Treatment Easier for Black People

This Clinical Trial Is Making HIV Treatment Easier for Black People

From Symptoms To Solutions: What To Expect During Your First Year Of Menopause

first year of menopause

Multiple Myeloma: How it’s Damaging Your Bones and What You Can Do

multiple myeloma
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Resource Centers

  • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Clinical Trials
  • Wellness on the Yard
  • Cancer
  • Immunocompromised Care
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Careers
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2025, Black Doctor, Inc. All rights reserved.