Despite being in Hollywood, female celebrities face discrimination as well. In 2019, The Wire reported that, on average, women in Hollywood earned about 6.6 million, whereas their male counterparts earned $11.9 million for exactly the same work. The entertainment industry has a long way to go regarding abolishing gender-based discrimination.
Big pay differences in a relationship can play a major role in both marriages and divorce. However, some couples can still have their happily ever after even if a woman earns more than her husband. Here are all the celeb wives with a higher net worth than their husbands. Let all the empowering women on this list inspire you and be proof that girls really can run the world.
1. Scarlett Johansson
Scar Jo is famous for playing Marvel’s Black Widow and starring in flicks like “Marriage Story” and “Her.” Her net worth amounts to $165 million, although her hubby, SNL’s Colin Jost, only has a net worth of $10 million. The two wed in 2020 and have a child together. Despite their individual net worths having a large discrepancy, it’s not a shocker that Johansson has a high net worth. In 2018 and 2019, she was the highest-grossing actress in Hollywood.
2. Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts has quite the acting accolades under her belt, which have led to a jaw-dropping net worth of $250 million. Her husband of many years, cinematographer Danny Moder, is only worth $10 million. But despite this difference, the two have been madly in love for over twenty years. After almost 40 years of acting, Roberts broke a record by earning $20 million for “Erin Brockovich.” This film was the first instance for a female actor to get paid so highly for a single film. In 2010, she earned $3 million for being in the movie “Valentine’s Day” for only six minutes.
3. Cameron Diaz
“The Mask” with Jim Carrey was this blond beauty’s claim to fame, but over her two decades of acting, she starred in huge hits like “Charlie’s Angels” and “Bad Teacher.” Although temporarily retired these days, she earned a net worth of approximately $140 million. Her husband, Benji Madden, is worth around $40 million, which is approximately a quarter of his wife’s earnings. In 2010, Forbes gave her the accolade of second highest-paid actress. She didn’t grow up with money, so her earnings were more than enough to help her survive those inactive years. These days, she’s making a comeback on Netflix with Jamie Foxx in the flick “Back in Action.”
4. Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy wasn’t always on top, but today, she’s unstoppable. Once broke, McCarthy now has a $90 million net worth, while her husband, Ben Falcone, only has a $20 million net worth. Although they’ve collaborated on multiple projects, movies like “Bridesmaids,” Identity Thief,” and “Tammy” as well as shows like “Gilmore Girls” and “Mike & Molly” have earned her some serious cash. The two married in 2005 and collaborate often.
5. Jennifer Lopez
The love story between J.Lo and now-hubby Ben Affleck is a fairytale dream. After breaking up in 2004, they rekindled their relationship over 20 years after many years of individual success. Although Ben Affleck has a decent net worth of $150 million, Lopez has an insane $400 million net worth from her acting and singing career that’s spanned almost four decades. She’s also savvy with the tabloids, selling images of her newborn twins in 2008 for $6 million to People. That being said, she’s not obsessed with money – she did the film “Hustlers” completely for free!
6. Anne Hathaway
This beauty starred in popular blockbusters like “The Devil Wears Prada” and The Princess Diaries.” Her CV has earned her an $80 million net worth. Her husband, who is also an actor, only has a net worth of $1 million. Still, the two have been happily married since 2012. It makes sense as Hathaway has been acting in Hollywood for over 20 years and earns highly for minor cameos in films like her peer Julia Roberts. In “The Dark Knight Rises,” she got paid $7.6 million for a total of 19 minutes on camera. Ambition is everything in this industry!
7. Nicole Kidman
Kidman, a legendary Academy Award-winning actress in Hollywood, has worked on movies in many genres, like “The Hours” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Her net worth is $250 million, while her spouse’s, Keith Urban, is about $75 million. The two have been married since 2006. Forbes dubbed Nicole Kidman Hollywood’s “most overpaid” celebrity, but she never came from a rich family, and instead, her hard work is all to thank. For the TV show “Big Little Lies,” she earned up to $350,000 an episode for Season 1 and up to $1 million for Season 2.
8. Kourtney Kardashian
Newlyweds Kourtney and Travis Barker married at the beginning of 2022 and are expecting their first baby together. The KUWTK star is worth approximately $65 million, and Barker is worth $50 million. Although he comes closer than some of the husbands on this list, it doesn’t compare to Kourtney Kardashian’s net worth. The reality show was obviously a huge source of income, and Kourt earned approximately $38 million between 2015 and 2017 from the show alone. She also runs her own brand called Poosh.
9. Kelly Ripa
Fans love talk show host and actress Kelly Ripa for hosting “Live!” and since Ryan Seacrest left in 2023, she hosts it with her husband of many years, actor Mark Consuelos. The parents of three have quite different net worths. While Ripa is worth $120 million, Consuelos is worth $40 million. It’s quite the plot twist since when they co-starred in “All My Children,” she earned less than him!
