Steve Mensch, the president and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, died in a single-seater plane crash in Florida on Dec. 6.

TMZ first reported the news early this morning. A spokesperson for Tyler Perry Studios later confirmed the news with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Mensch served as president of Tyler Perry Studios since 2016, managed Perry’s 300-acre studio in southwest Atlanta.

“We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend Steve Mensch,” reads a statement from Tyler Perry Studios, printed by the AJC. “Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than eight years and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It’s hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.

Tags: Atlanta  Georgia  Tyler Perry