Ay, Caramba! Jennifer Tilly Scores 'The Simpsons' Earnings From Late Ex's Estate
Jan. 10 2018, Published 3:44 p.m. ET
Actress and poker pro Jennifer Tilly will continue to receive her piece of The Simpsons earnings through a new deal struck between the actress and the estate of her ex-husband and the animated show's co-creator, Sam Simon, according to court documents obtained exclusively by RadarOnline.com.
According to the Jan. 2 order, Tilly would be entitled to 30 percent of net proceeds that Simon's estate receives from Fox , which could reach tens of millions of dollars over her lifetime.
Simon, along with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, co-created The Simpsons, the network's longest-running television show. Simon also produced The Drew Carey Show, Taxi, and Cheers.
Simon and Tilly were married from 1984 to 1991, but they were officially divorced on Dec. 30,1993. Simon died on March 8, 2015 from colon cancer at the age of 59.
According to the court documents, a percentage of the payments Simon received from Fox was awarded to Tilly as her separate property from their 1993 divorce.
Under that divorce judgment, Tilly received her portion through a trust held by Simon's company, Coconino Inc. Last month, Tilly came to an agreement with her late husband's estate executor, Julie Miller, and negotiated a new procedure of payment for the actress, according to the documents.
"Because of Sam's death, it was no longer practical for Jennifer, Sam and Coconino to follow the procedure that Jennifer had been following with Sam and Coconino from 1993 until Sam's death," according to the Jan. 2 order. The agreement is "intended to place Jennifer in substantially the same economic position that she would be in if she had received her percentage of the Fox Payments directly from Fox and had reported income on her income tax returns and paid tax thereon."
Under the modified agreement, Tilly is to receive 30 percent of the net profits from Fox, and guarantees none of the rights and obligations under the divorce judgment would be affected by Simon's death. As part of the agreement, Miller also will take Cococino stocks owned by Simon's trust and transfer them to The Sam Simon Charitable Giving Foundation by Dec. 31, 2017.
The nine-time Emmy-winning producer was known for his various charitable efforts for the homeless and was a champion for animal rights and PETA. The Sam Simon Foundation specializes in "helping hungry people and stray dogs," according to the group's website.
What is still unknown, however, is how Tilly's agreement could affect another claim for Simon's estate.
Kate Porter, Simon's girlfriend at the time of his death, filed a suit in March 2016 and also claims The Simpsons co-creator had promised to take care of her. Porter, who said she was Simon's girlfriend and "intimate partner" for last three years of his life, claimed Simon promised to leave her $5 million tax-free in his will.
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Porter has a hearing date scheduled for her suit on Sept. 26 for an "order to show cause," according to the court docket.
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