In June 2021, fans of actress Brett Butler were surprised to see the sudden emergence of her Go Fund Me page. The page cited the "Grace Under Fire" star as being financially broken amidst the pandemic.
It was set up by the actress' friend, paranormal researcher and author Lon Strickler. Lon's fundraiser set a goal of $20,000, which has already been surpassed in just two months.
The description on the page reads,
"Brett has exhausted all of her resources, and the stress of looming eviction is straining her mentally and physically."
On August 19, Butler told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview,
"I might've waited too long to do this, but I am so screwed right now. I've been ashamed. Almost ashamed to death."
What is Brett Butler's Net Worth?
CelebrityNetWorth.com cites Brett Butler's net worth at $10,000. However, the figure doesn't take any outstanding debt into account. As per the Hollywood Reporter article, Butler had fallen six months behind her rent, and was on the verge of being evicted from her Los Angeles apartment.
The mid-to-late 1980s saw Brett Butler rise as a standup comedian in New York. She appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1987 for a standup segment. A year later, she appeared on Dolly Parton's show Dolly as a one-time character Rhonda. Butler was also a writer for the show, and has been credited in 9 episodes.
After appearing as herself in a few shows until 1995, Butler got her breakthrough role as Grace in Chuck Lorre's Grace Under Fire. She was one of the highest-paid TV actors during the mid-1990s and was reported to have made $250,000 per episode.
This paycheck accumulated to a hefty $5 million per season. The actress reportedly made $25 million during this time.
The show ran for five seasons. However, it was canceled mid-season in 1998 due to Butler's alleged struggle with substance abuse. Following the show's collapse, she played one-time roles in multiple television series until 2000. This was followed by a five-year hiatus, after which she appeared in a few more TV movies and series.
Brett Butler went on hiatus again until 2012, before appearing as Beth Hortense on The Young and the Restless for nine episodes. The comedian also starred as Brett in Anger Management for around 38 episodes.
The 63-year-old actress and comedian told The Hollywood Reporter:
"If it wasn't for Charlie [Sheen], there's no way I would have been on that show [Anger Management]."
She added,
"It literally saved me."
In 2016, Brett Butler also appeared in How to Get Away with Murder (2016) as Trishelle Pratt. The star has also portrayed Tammy Rose Sutton in The Walking Dead. Furthermore, in 2019, she played Sandy Jackson in the Apple TV+ show, The Morning Show.
While explaining her "financial carelessness" to The Hollywood Reporter, she said:
"I was a little bit too trusting with some people that worked for me, and I had a lot of things stolen."
Brett Butler further explained:
"That's just stupid on my part, not to have insurance for those things. And to loan and give a lot of money away. I really just felt so guilty for having it — I almost couldn't get rid of it fast enough."
She also shared about her troubles through depression after losing her $25 million fortune. Brett Butler is expected to appear in an upcoming animated project called Beach Cougar Gigolo.