Tyler Perry and Longtime Girlfriend Gelila Bekele Split: 'Their Focus Is on Being the Best Parents'

"I’m 51, single and wondering what the next chapter in my life will look like," the entertainment mogul said Wednesday

Tyler Perry revealed he's celebrating the holiday season as a single man.

The entertainment mogul — who started dating model and activist Gelila Bekele after meeting at a Prince concert in 2007 — shared on Instagram Wednesday, "I'm 51, single and wondering what the next chapter in my life will look like."

A source tells PEOPLE Perry and Bekele, 34, "amicably split some time ago and remain close friends."

"Their focus is on being the best parents they can for their son," the insider adds.

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The duo welcomed a son, Aman Tyler, together in December 2014. "There's no other person on this planet that I would want to be involved with or have a child with because she's amazing," the Madea creator told PEOPLE in 2017, adding that he learned about Bekele's pregnancy over FaceTime.

RELATED VIDEO: Tyler Perry Shares Powerful Personal Anecdote as He Accepts Governors Award at 2020 Emmys

Despite captioning the new mirror selfie, "This is what a midlife crisis looks like," Perry expressed optimism for what comes next.

"Whatever it looks like I'm going to walk with God, be the best father and man I can be, hold my head up high, and try to look my best doing it!!" he continued on Instagram Wednesday.

"In a world with so much sadness, please try and stay in the good! Merry Christmas and let's look forward to 2021 bringing us peace!"

Professionally, Perry is busier than ever, with Disney recently announcing he's signed on to produce Sister Act 3 nearly 30 years after Whoopi Goldberg starred in the hit original.

Updated by
Elizabeth Leonard

Elizabeth Leonard is Managing Executive Editor and West Coast Bureau Chief for PEOPLE, where she's worked in leadership positions across the brand's entertainment and human interest verticals for 25 years.