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Steve Mensch, president and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios, was killed in a plane crash, officials said.
The Florida The Highway Patrol said troopers found a 62-year-old man dead at the scene of a single-seater crash near the intersection of Highway 19 and Longfellow Street in Homosassa, Florida.
Menš was the pilot of the plane, a source close to the studio confirmed Fox News. No other deaths have been reported and the cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
“We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Steve Mensh. Steve has been a valued member of our team for over 8 years and is well-loved in the Atlanta community,” Tyler Perry Studios said in a statement.
“It’s hard to imagine not seeing him smiling in the hallways. We will miss him very much. Our hearts go out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”
Mensch has been the chairman of the entertainment company since 2016.
“Steve Mensch is considered one of the most influential people in the film and TV production industry in Georgia. He has executive experience in operations, strategic planning, budgeting, business development and marketing at some of the largest companies in the industry,” his bio reads in part.
Mensh is survived by his wife and three children.
Perry opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in 2019 after purchasing a 300-acre parcel of land, although the company was founded in 2006.
The studio has permanent sets including a luxury hotel lobby, a replica White House, a 16,000-square-foot mansion, a fake budget hotel, a commercial jet, and a real 1950s-style diner relocated from a city 100 miles away.
It also hosts 12 sound stages named after top African-Americans in the entertainment industry
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his condolences on social media after Mensch’s death, praising him as a “good man” and praising his contributions to the state’s film industry.
“A fine man and an instrumental part of Georgia Studies is proud to call his own, his accomplishments have made our state better and brought more opportunities to its people,” Kemp he said at X. “His loved ones and the entire Tyler Perry Studios team will be in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn this loss.”