The Untold Truth Of Hollywood Medium's Tyler Henry
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If you haven't heard of Tyler Henry yet, just wait. This young man's name is everywhere. Henry has been sitting down with some of the most beloved faces in entertainment to help them connect with departed loved ones as the Hollywood Medium. On his reality show, Henry brings memories to the surface as he gives famous faces messages from their deceased relatives and friends.
The young reality star has become famous in his own right as a celebrated author as well as a television personality. But even if you're already a devotee of the show, there's a lot you don't know about Tyler Henry. You might be surprised to learn how young he was when he discovered his gift, and shocked to find out that he wasn't always planning on being a professional medium. Learn more about this reality superstar in the making, and find out how he lives day-to-day with a gift that he can't just turn on and off.
The spooky way he discovered his abilities at age 10
Tyler Henry is only 26 at the time of publishing, but he's been honing his skills for a long time. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Henry revealed that he was just 10 years old when he discovered his abilities. "I actually woke up one night and knew that my grandmother was going to die," he said during a broadcast of "On Air with Ryan." He told his mother about the feeling he was having. "As I was telling my mom this, her phone rang, and when she picked up the phone, it was the news that my grandmother had just died."
He said, "That whole instance changed everything." Henry hasn't exactly been a practicing medium since age 10, but he has been aware of his abilities for over a decade. The spooky incident became a starting point for his Hollywood career as a communicator with the spirit world.
He almost had another career
Tyler Henry told Out magazine that he always knew he wanted to help people. But originally, he thought he was going to help the world by working as a nurse. He enrolled in college with the goal of becoming a hospice nurse in mind, but his path ended up taking him in a different direction before he completed his education in this field.
"When I was going to school, I got a reading from a woman who told me that when I was 19 I'd start filming a TV show, and that it would do well and that I'd write books and that was my life purpose," he said. "At the time I was open-minded but I said, 'I don't know how that could be.' And then sure enough, when I was 19 it all happened." Henry is still taking care of people and helping them, just not in the way he pictured as a child.
He graduated high school at 16
Tyler Henry started being paid for his medium abilities while he was still attending Sierra Pacific High School, receiving about $40 per reading. At the time, Henry was living with his parents outside of Fresno, California. Though Henry said he was "a little shy" in high school, he did share his talents with others. He often performed readings for other students and even teachers, according to an article about Henry in the Fresno Bee.
But Henry was unhappy with high school, as reported by The Outline. He chose to leave Sierra Pacific and began homeschooling instead. Through an accelerated program, he graduated from high school early. Just three years later, he was well on his way to becoming a TV star and well-known author who routinely hangs out with celebrities from every corner of the entertainment industry. When he signed on to do his TV show, he wasn't even old enough to buy beer.
Did he really predict Alan Thicke's death?
It's not just Hollywood gossip. Tyler Henry really did warn Alan Thicke about his heart just months before the former TV dad died from a ruptured aorta. CNN reported on the chilling episode where Henry spoke with the "Growing Pains" actor face-to-face. Henry gave Thicke a reading about three months before the actor's death. In a later episode of his E! reality series, Henry showed a video of the session to Thicke's widow, Tanya.
"Blood pressure is going to be something that we really have to keep in mind," Henry told Thicke during the reading. "Heart issues, they happen to men, it's not uncommon." He continued, "It's possible that within your family, there might be multiple men who end up at a later age dealing with blood pressure issues, but also deal with either a heart murmur or heart arrhythmia." Thicke sort of laughed off Henry's concern, calling him "Dr. Henry" and saying, "I'm going to take that to heart."
His boyfriend's dead grandfather set them up
Just about everyone has been "fixed up" with a friend of a friend or someone's relative, or whatever. But in most cases, the people setting up the date are alive. Tyler Henry met his boyfriend, Clint Goodwin, in a very unusual way: Goodwin's dead grandfather brought them together.
Henry talked about meeting Goodwin in an interview with People. About two weeks before the future couple met, Goodwin's grandfather died. That's when Henry's medium abilities began to pick him up. Henry said the grandfather "kept coming through repeatedly." Henry "took it as a sign to connect with his grandson." He did, and met Clint. The two have been happily enjoying each other's company ever since, and the cute couple gets a ton of social media attention. It's hard to come up with a fix-up story that can top this one that has a supernatural twist!
Producers use code names so Tyler won't know who he's reading on his show
Though skeptics say that many mediums use research and other techniques in order to give their clients accurate readings, those who work behind the scenes at Tyler Henry's reality show insist that he has no idea who he's going to meet when he does a reading. The show's executive producer, Michael Corbett, gave more details to Metro Weekly. "We are very secretive," he said. "We never let Tyler know who he's going to read. It's never written down anywhere ... he doesn't know who he's going to read until he opens the door. That's the reality."
Speaking in an interview with TV Insider, Corbett said that "everyone is given a code name" in order to maintain the utmost secrecy. He said he became a "firm believer" in Henry's abilities after he received a reading himself. "Tyler tapped right into two people I knew," he said. When the reading was over, Corbett said he knew he had to create a show featuring Henry.
You'll be surprised to hear who his dream client is
Tyler Henry has done readings for some of Hollywood's heaviest hitters. His client roster includes such names as Ellen DeGeneres, one his favorite readings, and La Toya Jackson, sister of the late Michael Jackson. Stunningly, Michael came through in the reading, according to an interview Henry did with Elite Daily. "He came through just like a brother trying to connect with his sister," Henry said of the pop superstar.
However, there is one name that remains on Henry's celebrity wish list. When asked who he would like to give a reading to, Henry gave an answer that may surprise some people: infamous ice skater Tonya Harding. "The reason being is, well, I'm a huge fan of Tonya Harding, but in seeing her life, you know, she has gone through some extraordinary stuff," he said. "I just feel like as a person, she has an incredible story. There's a lot of healing that could be had there that I feel she could really benefit from, and I would be honored to be able to help her facilitate that."
Here's why critics say he's a 'grief vampire'
Tyler Henry says that many are skeptical of his gift and feel that he needs to prove his abilities before they will trust him. "I do inherently understand both sides," he told Out magazine in an interview. That's why he strives to focus on "information that can't be researched or googled," things like "inside jokes or sentimental pieces of information that only families really know."
Despite endorsements from celebrities and a devoted fan following, Henry has been labeled as a fraud and a "grief vampire" by some. Henry was the target of a blistering editorial from the Neurologica Blog, where the unappealing label is used outright. Henry has also been a frequent target for CSI, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Multiple articles about Henry have been posted there, often with headlines containing the "grief vampire" label. Henry's name has also appeared on the Skeptoid Blog, where he's been accused of feeding off grief.
Dead relatives sometimes put a damper on Henry's romantic relationships
Being a medium can have its advantages, sure. Tyler Henry has been able to rub elbows with some of Hollywood's most elite celebs, but the spirits who speak to him aren't always related to strangers. Sometimes, Henry revealed in an interview with E! News, ghosts can put a real damper on relationships.
Though Henry is happily in a relationship currently, there are times when the spirit world makes things really weird. Sometimes when they're together, Henry begins receiving messages for his boyfriend from the other side. However, boyfriend Clint Godwin is very understanding, according to Henry. "We'll be hanging out at 11 o'clock at night and something will come through from his grandfather or I'll get a message for his family and he understands that I kind of have to get it out so we can go about our evening," Henry said. "It's a little awkward, but he understands how I work."
People mistake him for Macaulay Culkin all the time
Tyler Henry is starting to become as recognizable as his famous celebrity clients, but plenty of people aren't quite sure which famous person he actually is when they run into him out and about in the world. When speaking to BuzzFeed, Henry revealed the celebrity that he gets confused with the most, and it's definitely one you'll recognize.
"I'm typically used to being mis-recognized as Macaulay Culkin by people who don't know he's 36," Henry said. Look at images of Culkin about 10 years ago, however, and the resemblance is remarkable. Henry is a dead ringer for Culkin's character in "Party Monster." Even today, the similarity in their features and hairdo is pretty easy to see. The Hollywood Medium could easily pass as one of Culkin's many younger brothers.
Henry has also been mistaken for Dylan Minette from the Netflix hit "Thirteen Reasons Why," though the resemblance there is much less striking.
He suffered from a ministroke at age 18
Fans of "Hollywood Medium" have surely noticed by now that Henry's mother is a fixture on the show. She appears frequently, driving Henry to his readings where he meets with celebrity clients. Tyler Henry doesn't drive. This is why his mom transports him to and fro.
When he was only 18, Henry suffered from a brain cyst and a ministroke. He decided not to drive after this event. That's why mom Theresa serves as his chauffeur, though Henry sits up front in the passenger seat next to her. It's an arrangement that suits Henry just fine, according to an interview he did with TV Insider. "Trust me, I don't mind being chauffeured through the crazy L.A. traffic," he said. For now, Theresa will continue to be a mainstay of her son's reality show. After all, he's got to get to his readings somehow!
There are some fan favorites on his celebrity client list
Tyler Henry has given readings to many celebrities, but there's one group that interests Henry's fans more than everyone else. In an interview with Elite Daily, Henry said that he's most often asked about Kardashians and the Jenners. Henry has given readings to multiple family members. "They're lovely," he said of the reality TV stars. "When I talk to them it's like talking to anybody else. They're looking for the same things, they have the same questions."
Henry was attending a party with some of the Kardashians and Jenners when he ended up giving a reading to Bella Thorne, who was also in attendance. Henry previously gave a reading to Khloe Kardashian, where he talked about her relationship with Tristan Thompson. Later, reports that Thompson had been unfaithful began to circulate, according to a story about the reading from E! News. He also gave readings to Kris Jenner and Kylie Jenner, as reported by Life and Style magazine.
Hollywood Medium isn't his only show
While Tyler Henry is well known for "Hollywood Medium," the popular series isn't the only option for watching the clairvoyant work his magic. Recently, the reality star released a new show on Netflix called "Life After Death with Tyler Henry." According to Newsweek, his new unscripted series sees Henry taking a break from Hollywood and traveling all over the country to offer readings to people searching for answers. Additionally, Henry also gets personal, sharing what it's like to live with his abilities and how it affects his life. The write-up noted that the series also seeks closure for a bizarre mystery surrounding Henry's family.
Additionally, in an effort to explore the validity of Henry's gift (and promote the new series), USA Today reporter Erin Jensen received a special reading from the star and reflected on whether or not he's actually the real deal. While admitting that some of the information provided could've been found on the internet, Jensen added that certain statements were too personal to be a simple coincidence, ultimately concluding that she's convinced by the medium's abilities. Similarly, on his site, Henry offered his thanks for the experiences, and stated that "Life After Death" had "given me the opportunity to bring answers and healing to so many people." Henry's message closed with the clairvoyant saying, "I am so proud of the profound stories, true testimonials of resilience, and shocking validations that made this such a rewarding experience for me."
Tyler Henry's mom recently learned of a dark family secret
In his new Netflix series, "Life After Death," Tyler Henry not only provides insight to others in search of answers, he also dives into a dark mystery that definitely hit close to home. According to Distractify, back in 2019, Henry's mom, Theresa Koelewyn, learned that the woman she believed to be her biological mother was, in fact, not related to her at all. If that wasn't shocking enough, it's additionally noted that the woman previously believed to be Theresa's mother had also been convicted and served time for her role in a double murder.
The outlet added that while trying to dive further into the mystery on his Netflix series, Henry learned that he was too emotionally close to get a clear reading from his biological relatives or their possessions. The television star stated that it "felt like I wasn't a medium, that I was just a human being." Similarly, in a clip promoting "Life After Death," Henry is seen investigating his family tree and stating that he wants to know the truth. While reflecting on the obviously emotional topic, the medium declared, "She [Koelewyn] could have had a completely different life and that was taken from her by this criminal." The reality star is also shown embracing his mother after she breaks down while exclaiming that she's nothing like the woman that stole her.
Tyler Henry is the author of two books
In addition to his other talents, Tyler Henry has also written two books that discuss the medium's views on the spiritual world. His first book, "Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the Other Side," is a memoir that was initially released in 2016 and became a national bestseller. The book not only reflects on how Henry's experiences led him to become a celebrity clairvoyant, but it also addresses how spirituality can impact our lives. The reality star's second written work, "Here & Hereafter: How Wisdom from the Departed Can Transform Your Life Now," was published more recently, and focuses on helping Henry's readers learn how to live their best lives while embracing their spiritual sides.
Additionally, the day before the release of "Here & Hereafter” Henry had a live stream where he answered questions and offered signed copies of the book. Stating that the new publication involved two years of hard work, the star noted that one of his recent health issues (which forced the medium to have emergency surgery after his lung collapsed) is also addressed in his latest book. Going on to explain that "Here & Hereafter" is about using wisdom to avoid regret, Henry told his viewers that we can all gain insight from the mistakes of the past: "If we can approach life in that way, we can prevent future regret by learning from what other people have to teach us."
It isn't easy to get a reading from Tyler Henry
With an ever-growing reputation for his clairvoyant abilities, it's not surprising that people are clamoring to get a reading from Tyler Henry. While you don't have to be a celebrity to inquire, you do have to have patience, at least according to his still-expanding waitlist, which currently sits at over 300,000 people. While there's no time frame for a response, the page to request a private reading from the reality star notes that Henry's "demand is a bit overwhelming at the moment." So it's clear that a visit from the "Hollywood Medium" star won't be instantaneous.
Similarly, Distractify stated that Henry's site doesn't list any rates for his services, something those patiently waiting should probably keep in mind. The outlet noted that some high profile mediums, like John Edward, can charge $850 for a private reading, while others like "Long Island Medium” star Theresa Captuo's services range from $50 to $175. However, even with a potentially hefty price tag, many of Henry's fans still can't wait for the opportunity to get a one-on-one with the famous clairvoyant. If you really want to try speeding things up, the article does suggest a potential alternative. Henry is known to sometimes give away readings online, so following his social media pages and sending a message could result in getting an ever-coveted reading from the Netflix star.
One of his readings angered the mother of the late Corey Haim
When Corey Feldman appeared on "Hollywood Medium" to get a reading from Tyler Henry, he was thrilled when Henry offered him messages from the late Corey Haim. E! News stated that while Feldman was initially guarded, the information provided by Henry convinced him of the clairvoyant's abilities. Henry even ended up offering Feldman some advice, and encouraged the star to be more open about his mistreatment as a child star, with Feldman responding that the medium's words were the exact answer he was looking for.
However, despite Feldman's positive reaction, not everyone was thrilled with their encounter. According to TMZ, Judy Haim, the late actor's mother, is no fan of the celebrity clairvoyant. Haim stated that Feldman's attempts to contact her son on Henry's show "Hollywood Medium" were purely for financial gain, adding that prior to his death, her son wasn't close to Feldman. Similarly, Entertainment Tonight Canada reported that Haim reaffirmed her statements during an interview, saying that Feldman's claims of close friendship with the late celebrity are statements he used to stay in the spotlight. She accused Feldman's interaction with Henry of being pure fabrication.
What Tyler Henry says happens to us after we die
While plenty of us wonder about an afterlife, Newsweek reported that Tyler Henry has some answers. "I think there is definitely life but that is very different from the familiarities in this realm," the clairvoyant stated. In clarifying his words, the celebrity medium said that though he still has plenty of questions himself, he believes that it's natural for humans to be limited in their understanding of the spiritual world and what comes after death. Still, Henry thinks that the deceased he connects with have moved on to a place where they are at peace.
"When people come through they're not talking about heaven or hell," said the Netflix star. Henry also noted that no matter what or where it is that people go after death, what's important is that something awaits us and that these spirits still find ways to contact those they've left behind. "We do still have the ability to connect to our loved ones and the love that we share with them," Henry declared. The author also said that he's constantly gaining further knowledge about the afterlife as he continues his work. As for the doubters, Henry acknowledged that not everyone will accept what he has to say. "I've definitely come to a point in understanding that I can only help the people that want my help."
Tyler Henry is a big fan of RuPaul
Fans of the high profile medium love it when Tyler Henry opens up about his personal life. While chatting with NewNowNet, Henry discussed everything from his religious upbringing in a small conservative area to his life as an openly gay clairvoyant. Soon after, Henry revealed the significance of meeting RuPaul when America's favorite drag queen appeared on "Hollywood Medium" for a reading. "I would say that one was so memorable for me because growing up, I watched RuPaul, he was somebody who I felt a sense of relatability to when I grew up in this little small town."
In getting to meet the iconic celebrity and help him find closure with his late father, Henry stated that he felt like he was finally able to repay RuPaul for providing him with a wider range of representation during his youth. Additionally, the Netflix star noted that he and RuPaul still keep in touch, and at one point, RuPaul even gave Henry a recommendation for a gay bar in Atlanta. "And we made chocolate together, so I think I'm one of the few people can say I made chocolate with RuPaul," the clairvoyant added, declaring it an unbelievable experience.