Jennifer Tilly Says ‘Thanks Sam!’ to Ex-Husband Who Left Her A Piece of ‘The Simpsons’
When actress Jennifer Tilly and Simpsons co-developer Sam Simon divorced in 1991, Tilly received 30 percent of Simon’s future proceeds from his fledgling animated sitcom. But does she get to sleep in a racing car?
An Oscar-nominated actress and a veteran of TV comedy, Tilly is so much more than yet another pampered Hollywood divorcée to grace the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Tilly regularly played smaller parts in film and television throughout the 1980s, and, following her split from Simon, she broke through with a critically acclaimed performance in Woody Allen’s 1994 black comedy Bullets Over Broadway. From there, Tilly’s film and TV career exploded, and she even made a name for herself competing in the high-stakes world of professional poker, winning a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005.
But despite Tilly’s good fortune, no gamble ever paid off better for the actress, poker player and new Real Housewives guest star than her decision to marry (and later divorce) Simon.
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During a recent episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Tilly talked about the divorce settlement that set her up for life, noting how her gratitude for the late Simon grows with every passing day, along with her net worth:
Already a seasoned cartoonist, storyboard artist, writer and producer, Simon joined The Simpsons as a co-developer, writer and executive producer after working with James L. Brooks on the influential sitcom Taxi. Simon started as writer on the Danny DeVito and Andy Kaufman-starred comedy before graduating to showrunner in the later seasons, and the multi-hyphenate comedy master also working on seminal sitcoms like Cheers and It's Garry Shandling's Show before helping to create the most beloved, prestigious and preposterously profitable comedy franchise in American TV history.
Despite the title of the above post, Tilly is definitely not a billionaire because of her divorce settlement with the late Simpsons great who co-developed the show with creator Matt Groening and Brooks. While the greater Simpsons franchise is worth many billions of dollars through its various lucrative media and merchandising deals, 30 percent of Simon’s stake is very different from 30 percent of the entire pie. Before Simon passed away in 2015 from complications due to colorectal cancer, he donated his entire $100 million estate to various charities, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “The truth is, I have more money than I’m interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this.”
Time will tell if Tilly decides to follow her late ex-husband’s example with her share of The Simpsons. Until then, let’s keep tabs on her in case she ever goes into the music business — if she doesn’t donate the fortune, will she at least borrow a feeling?
