Meghan Markle makes a glamorous appearance at the 2024 Paley Honors Fall Gala to support her boyfriend Tyler Perry, who receives the highest honor from the Paley Center for Media.

On December 4th, the 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex arrived at the glamorous gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. She wore a floor-length black dress and black strappy heels. Perry, 55, was honored with the prestigious Paley Honors Award, the organization’s highest honor.

Meghan smiled as she walked the red carpet and hugged Perry as they caught up with each other. She also congratulated the filmmaker on his honor while posing for photos. Meghan later chatted with other guests and happily took selfies on her way to her table, where she sat with Perry and Kerry Washington.

The Paley Honors Tribute to Perry was announced in July and it was revealed at the time that Meghan and Prince Harry would be among the crew leading the celebrations. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were listed alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Gayle King, Taraji P. Henson, George Lucas, Washington and more as tribute chairs for the big evening.

Although Harry was involved, he did not appear alongside Meghan at the event as he was in New York City following his appearance The New York Times‘ DealBook Summit 2024. He joined there NYT Columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin for an in-depth conversation.

During the discussion, Harry addressed the persistent rumors surrounding his relationship with Meghan, which were fueled by their recent separate public appearances. Reflecting on the speculation, he quipped: “Apparently we’ve bought a house or moved 10, 12 times. Apparently we got divorced maybe 10, 12 times too. So it’s just like, ‘What?’ “

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s separate, bicoastal appearances illustrate their new dynamic, which a friend previously compared to PEOPLE as a “two-pronged approach.” Harry focuses on philanthropy while Meghan devotes herself to entrepreneurial projects and commercial ventures, although the couple share many projects together.

“An entrepreneurial and corporate focus will be more of a priority for the Duchess and the Duke will remain committed to his charitable patronage,” the friend told PEOPLE in October. “But there will be a concerted effort in these purpose-driven areas of work.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were guests at Perry’s 55th birthday party in September and have been friends for years. Perry is godfather to her three-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet, and offered his Los Angeles home to the couple and their five-year-old son, Prince Archie, in 2020 when the couple left their royal roles.

When Harry and Meghan set up a “permanent home” in Montecito later that year, a source told PEOPLE that they were truly grateful for Perry’s kindness.

“They are truly grateful to Tyler Perry for his kindness,” the insider said in the summer of 2020. “They are eternally grateful to him for helping them during a difficult time.”

“With COVID and as they stepped back from their royal duties, he offered them a safe haven,” they said.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first came into contact with the filmmaker when he reached out to Meghan ahead of their 2018 royal wedding. He let the Duchess of Sussex know that he was praying for her, “and that he understood what that meant and that he could only imagine what it was like,” she said The cut in 2022 and said Perry told her to call if she ever needed support or advice.

“Sometimes you can tell your life story to a stranger on a plane, as opposed to some of the people closest to you,” the Duchess of Sussex said of how she and Perry fit together.

In 2020, she updated him on her family’s stay in Vancouver, Canada, amid an uncertain future as she and Prince Harry announced their decision to step back as working royals. Although Perry had never met them, he offered them his home as a safe place to stay.

When the family finally settled in Montecito, he gave them a grand piano as a housewarming gift (and said, “Write the soundtrack for your life,” it is said). The cut) and appeared in the documentaries Harry and Meghanwhich debuted on Netflix in December 2022.

There, he shared the sweet story about how Harry and Meghan asked him to be Lilibet’s godfather after she was born in June 2021 (“It would be a great honor,” Perry shared), and PEOPLE confirmed that the acclaimed director was in attendance The little princess was baptized at home in March 2023.

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The Paley Honors “recognize individuals whose groundbreaking achievements in media have consistently set the bar for excellence,” a statement said, and Perry is being honored for his work as an actor, writer, director, producer, studio executive and philanthropist. The Madea creator began his career as a playwright and to date has produced over 2,000 television episodes and directed 28 feature films.