Why 'The Simpsons' Creator Gave Poker Player Jennifer Tilly a 'Piece' of Iconic Show
Jennifer Tilly, on Tuesday's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode, revealed some news about her wealth that her Hollywood — and poker fans — probably didn't know.
The actress and fan favorite on televised poker shows such as High Stakes Poker has made several appearances on Season 14 of the hit reality TV show, RHOBH. She isn't the focal point of the season, and has joined the show as a "friend" of one of the Beverly Hills housewives.
But her presence on the latest episode brought about some chatter on social media and across Hollywood blogs and news sites when she disclosed an interesting tidbit about her famous ex-husband, Sam Simon.
Now That's a Real Heater
Simon is the co-creator of The Simpsons, the most popular American animated sitcom ever. The show began in 1989 and still airs on Fox television to this day.
Tilly and Simon were married from 1984 to 1991, and their marriage overlapped the early days of The Simpsons, back when, as the actress admits, no one could have expected the show to become a 30-year hit. Simon passed away in 2015, years after Tilly began dating poker legend Phil Laak (they're still together). But, as the Bride of Chucky star said on Tuesday's RHOBH episode, she's still cashing in big-time from her early 1990s divorce.
"It takes a really long time to get over a divorce," Tilly told viewers of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. "My ex-husband was Sam Simon, who created The Simpsons."
She then explained that "when we got divorced, I got a piece of The Simpsons in the divorce settlement, and nobody knew that The Simpsons was going to go on for trillions of years."
"Every day, honestly, every day, I'm like, 'thank you, Sam,'" Tilly said.
Tilly's net worth, following the conclusion of the latest RHOBH episode, became a hot topic on social media and news outlets such as Daily Mail and People. She was also trending on X during and shortly after the show.
Poker fans know of Tilly for more than her marriage to Simon or appearances in various box office flicks. She's been a mainstay on High Stakes Poker for years and regularly competes in the big Hollywood home games.
Tilly isn't the only high-profile poker player to appear on a American reality TV show this year. Robbi Jade Lew competed on the reality-based gameshow, The Anonymous on USA Network, but didn't last long in the game.
New episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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