You've probably heard of Tyler Perry before. The comedian is known around the globe for his portrayal of his character Mabel "Madea" Simmons, the tough elderly namesake of the "Madea" series of films.

While Tyler Perry has appeared in plenty of productions outside of his own network, it's probably the films that his own company has produced that Perry is most famous for.

Unfortunately, Tyler Perry Studios just confirmed some devastating news:

The president of the Atlanta-based company died recently when the plane he was piloting crashed on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Steve Mensch was 62-years-old.

Tyler Perry's studio released a statement informing the world of the tragic news:

"We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend Steve Mensch," it said. "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," the studio added.

America's Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are already investigating the incident, which happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photographs from the incident show the plane having come to rest while on its roof in the middle of a road.

The single-engine plane was registered to Mensch at his home address in Fayetteville, Georgia.

Tyler Perry, and America's film industry in general, owe Mensch a lot

Steve Mensch is one of the reasons why Atlanta is such a popular place to make movies in America. According to shropshirestar.com, "Mr. Mensch helped advocate for and maintain Georgia’s film tax credit of more than 1.0 billion US dollars a year. Those lavish subsidies have made Georgia one of the most active places in the United States for film and television production."

Mr. Mensch began working in the movie business with a job at Feature Systems, which provides equipment for the movie industry.

Tyler Perry hired Mensch in 2016 to help create and run Tyler Perry Studios. The film production studio "sprawls across 330 acres of a former Army base in southern Atlanta, Georgia, that Perry acquired in 2015."

Unfortunately, Mr. Mensch passed away on the same day that Tyler Perry released The Six Triple Eight, which is a "war drama about a mostly black and all-female Second World War unit. The film was shot at the Atlanta studio."

Steve Mensch is survived by his wife, Danilia, as well as three children.

We pray for both the Mensch family and the Perry family during this incredibly difficult time.