The president of Tyler Perry Studios died in a single-passenger plane crash Friday night in Florida, according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.
Steve Mensch, 62, has run the Atlanta-based film studio since 2016. His death was first reported by TMZ.
According to sheriff's officials, Mensch was the pilot and the only passenger of the plane that crashed on a highway in Homosassa, Florida, around 8 p.m.
The crash closed portions of Highway 19 and Longfellow Street, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. All lanes were reopened shortly before 2:30 a.m.
The tragic news comes on the heels of Perry being recently honored by the Paley Center and his new film, “The Six Triple Eight,” his most ambitious film and his bid for major awards. The film opened in select theaters on Friday.
The studio released a statement to TMZ, saying:
“Steve was a beloved member of our team for over 8 years and well-liked in the Atlanta community. 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.”
Prior to joining Perry's studio, Mensch was president of Third Rail Studios, also based in Georgia, where he managed staffing, studio development and general operations until its grand opening in June 2016. Mensch also worked at Turner Broadcasting as studio director, location operations and strategic production partnerships for approximately 10 years.
Mensch is survived by his wife and three children.
