Jennifer Tilly Lives An Insanely Lavish Life After Her Divorce

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Jennifer Tilly has become accustomed to enjoying the trappings of Hollywood success, thanks to an acting career dating back to the 1980s. The California native got her first big break in controversial director Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway," and later became known for such hits as "Bound" and "Bride of Chucky." But Tilly's lavish life has been funded by more than just her own work and came from an unexpected source.

As reported in E! News, Tilly revealed in a December 2024 episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" that she was receiving royalties from the long-running animated TV show "The Simpsons," thanks to a divorce settlement from her late ex-husband and series co-creator Sam Simon. Tilly's income from the show was 30% of her ex-husband's share, and it's believed she receives anything from about $6 to $10 million annually (via Celebrity Net Worth). That number adds to her net worth of $40 million, which comes from her acting and second career as a professional poker player.

Tilly's settlement contributed to her lavish lifestyle, which includes several luxurious houses on the West Coast and a collection of fine jewelry. In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tilly talked about buying an assortment of David Webb jewelry for $35,000 at an auction (and starring in a terrible movie to help pay for Webb pieces). "One of the bracelets alone was worth twice as much as the lot," she admitted, "and I've since sold a few of those pieces for a lot of money. Sometimes I sell pieces to buy other pieces."

When Jennifer Tilly brought up her 1993 divorce from Sam Simon on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she expressed gratitude to him after mentioning how "The Simpsons" running for so long was unexpected. "Every day, honestly every day, I'm like, 'Thank you Sam,'" she said (via E! News). But the money was secondary to the relationship that Tilly maintained with Simon after their split, leading up to his death on March 8, 2015 from terminal cancer.

In a 2021 episode of "The Originals" podcast, Tilly revealed that she invited Simon to her home after his diagnosis, and he was happy to see that she was doing well. Tilly made it clear that she wanted to help him during his illness. "I felt like I had an opportunity to pay him back for what he did for me," she admitted, "because obviously, I'm very comfortable from 'The Simpsons.'" Tilly drove Simon to his chemotherapy treatments, and assisted him wherever she could. During a 2014 interview with Card Player, Tilly stated that though Simon's health grew progressively worse as his cancer treatments continued, he never complained about the pain he was enduring. She marveled at his will to live, and praised him for his love of others.

After the hubbub surrounding her finances when she shared her connection to "The Simpsons," Tilly spoke to E! News in January 2025 and said she doesn't consider herself to be overly wealthy, despite her circumstances. "My boyfriend and I live very simply and [in] a very small cluttered house," Tilly said, referring to Phil Laak. "Yes, there's a giant house next door, but we don't go there. ... I just live my life the way that I used to live."