When an unexpected burst pipe displaced an 81-year-old woman from her home of four decades, it wasn't her insurance that swept in to help. It was Tyler Perry.
On Valentine's Day, Brenda Daurham's kitchen sink burst, sending water throughout her home in Markham, Illinois, and leaving her with nothing, she told local Fox station WFLD in a story published Aug. 31. She said she could not live in her home after the damage.
Despite someone from her insurance company, Allstate, telling her that "everything was covered," her claim was denied due to policy exclusions involving "wear and tear," "deterioration," and "seepage," WFLD reported.
"You think you have insurance, you think you are
covered, and I had the highest of everything … then when something happens they don’t cover anything," Daurham told the outlet at the time. "The fire department came out, and then I called the insurance company, and they said everything was covered. I didn’t have to worry about a thing."
Expecting Allstate to cover the costs, she called Excel Fire and Water Damage Restoration Services to perform water mitigation work at her home, leaving her in severe debt she could not cover "by no means." "It's horrible, it’s devastating. I can’t even stand it any longer, that’s why I had to go to the hospital cause I felt like I was having a breakdown," she added.
Perry is covering Durham's nearly $18,000 lien for restoration work and offering her an additional $25,000 to help her get back on her feet, USA TODAY can confirm.
Tyler Perry slams Allstate: 'You call this being in good hands?'
The "Why Did I Get Married Again?" actor and director, 56, called out Allstate in a Sept. 2 Instagram post: "Hey Allstate!! Step to the front real quick. This woman is 81 years old. You call this being in good hands?"
"Don't worry Ms. Daurham help is on the way," he added.
USA TODAY has reached out to Allstate and Perry's representatives for comment.
Excel defended Daurham’s claims and said that Allstate should cover the nearly $18,000 mechanic's lien due to the property damage stemming from a "sudden and accidental plumbing failure," WFLD reported.
The company pointed to the insurer's policy language regarding damage caused by a "sudden and accidental escape of water" from a plumbing system, according to the outlet.
As the insurance dispute continued, a mechanic's lien of more than $17,800 was recorded against the property with the Cook County Clerk on Aug. 20, WFLD reported.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyler Perry pays 81-year-old woman's $18K repair bill after Allstate denies claim
