Jennifer Tilly has built an impressive Hollywood career, starring in everything from Bound to Bride of Chucky, earning an Academy Award nomination, and even making a name for herself as a professional poker player. But what many don’t realize is that a significant portion of her wealth comes from The Simpsons—a show she never worked on but continues to profit from thanks to a divorce settlement dating back to the early ‘90s.
Jennifer Tilly’s Hollywood Journey
Before she became a household name, Jennifer Tilly got her start in television in the early ‘80s. Her breakthrough came with recurring roles in Hill Street Blues, followed by guest spots in hit shows like Cheers and Moonlighting. By the ‘90s, she had secured her place in Hollywood with roles in Bullets Over Broadway, Bound, and the Child’s Play franchise, where she became an iconic scream queen.
Tilly’s career has remained strong over the years, but what truly sets her apart is her unexpected financial connection to one of the most successful animated series of all time.
How Jennifer Tilly Became Wealthy From The Simpsons
Tilly was married to Sam Simon, a legendary writer and producer who co-created The Simpsons alongside Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. The couple tied the knot in 1984, the same year Tilly landed a role in Shaping Up, a short-lived sitcom Simon co-created. Their marriage lasted six years, ending in 1991, just as The Simpsons was becoming a cultural phenomenon.
While their marriage ended, Tilly’s connection to Simon’s work on The Simpsons never did. As part of their divorce settlement, Tilly secured 30% of Simon’s earnings from the show—a deal that would turn out to be one of the most lucrative settlements in Hollywood history.
At the time of their divorce, The Simpsons was still in its early seasons, and no one could have predicted its unprecedented longevity. Decades later, the show is still running, and as long as Simon remained a credited executive producer, Tilly continued receiving her share of the profits.
How Much Money Does Jennifer Tilly Make From The Simpsons?
Though Simon left The Simpsons in 1993, he negotiated a deal to retain his executive producer credit indefinitely, which entitled him to a portion of the show’s massive revenue, including syndication, merchandise, and home video sales. In an interview with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast, Simon revealed that he made at least $10 million per year from the show—sometimes even “tens of millions.”
That means Jennifer Tilly has been earning millions annually from The Simpsons for over three decades, all without ever writing a single episode or voicing a character on the show. In a recent interview, she acknowledged just how fortunate she is:
“My ex-husband was Sam Simon, who created The Simpsons. […] When we got divorced, I got a piece of The Simpsons in the settlement, and nobody knew that The Simpsons was going to go on for trillions of years. So every day, honestly, I’m like, ‘Thank you, Sam!'”
Still Cashing In—Even After Sam Simon’s Death
Sam Simon passed away in 2015, but his Simpsons legacy lives on—and so do the financial benefits for Tilly. Because Simon’s executive producer deal continues indefinitely, Tilly is still receiving a third of his profits from the show, even 34 years after their divorce.
Adding to the irony, Tilly now voices Bonnie Swanson on Family Guy, a direct competitor to The Simpsons. While she may not need to work another day in her life, she continues to take on new projects, from films to reality TV, recently appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Final Thoughts
Jennifer Tilly’s acting career is impressive in its own right, but her financial windfall from The Simpsons is one of Hollywood’s most fascinating stories. Thanks to a well-negotiated divorce settlement, she has enjoyed a lifetime of earnings from one of the most successful shows ever—without ever being involved in its production.
As The Simpsons continues its record-breaking run, Tilly’s fortune will only grow, proving that sometimes, Hollywood’s biggest paydays come in the most unexpected ways.