‘All the Queen’s Men’ was a monstrous hit
For Keyes, the frustration isn’t simply about a show ending — it’s about recognition and respect. “All the Queen’s Men” was born from his 2013 novel Ladies Night, a gritty story centered on power, loyalty, and survival within a male strip club empire. When the series debuted on BET+ in 2021, it quickly became one of the streamer’s most talked-about dramas, known for its high stakes, provocative storytelling, and unapologetic energy.
But Keyes says that as the show found its audience, he began losing something far more valuable than ratings: creative control.
Keyes accuses Tyler Perry of taking credit for his show
The actor recalls seeing a BET advertisement for the series that felt like a final straw. “They tried to post my show like that’s y’all show,” he said, accusing the network of erasing his role as creator. According to Keyes, matters escalated when Tyler Perry Studios — where the series is produced — allegedly removed his creative credit altogether.
“It’s you putting the show out there, but you’re also the same studio, Tyler Perry Studios, that removed my creative credit,” Keyes explained. “And I had to call a union to have them make you — force TPS — to put it back on there.”
That moment, he suggests, marked a turning point. While Perry’s involvement brought scale and visibility, Keyes claims it also brought a drastic shift in tone. His original vision, he says, was grounded and character-driven, focused on ambition, relationships, and moral compromise. By seasons two and three, however, the series began to feel unrecognizable.
Keyes said his show became unrecognizable
“That’s when ‘All the Queen’s Men’ got weird,” Keyes said, criticizing plotlines he felt leaned too heavily on shock value. He specifically called out story choices he described as unnecessary and gratuitous, adding, “Nobody wants to see that sh-t. Put that on your show.”
The tension, in Keyes’ telling, wasn’t just about content — it was about credit. In one of his most pointed remarks, he questioned why Perry, a billionaire mogul with an expansive TV empire, would attempt to claim ownership over the one show Keyes says was unequivocally his.
“You got 16, 17 shows. I got one. Let me have credit,” he said. “My contract says I get credit. Why you corny, trying to steal my credit?”
Despite the frustration, Keyes made one thing clear: He isn’t walking away defeated. In fact, he says he’s glad “All the Queen’s Men” will no longer live under the BET+ umbrella. Once season five concludes, he plans to continue the story elsewhere — on his own terms.
“I’m not sad that my show isn’t there anymore,” he said. “After season five, it won’t be there anymore. I won’t have to deal with that shady, corny kind of leadership over there.”
For Keyes, the end of “All the Queen’s Men” on BET+ isn’t a finale — it’s a reset. And this time, he’s determined to keep the crown firmly on his own head.