Leonardo DiCaprio’s co-star has claimed that he is ‘struggling to make a living’ despite his huge pay checks being exposed in new court documents.
Siobhan Duck - Stellar Magazine
Djimon Hounsou’s movie salaries were exposed amid his custody battle more than a year after he claimed he was “struggling to make a living.”
The two-time Oscar nominee filed a financial declaration amid his contentious custody battle with his ex Ri’za Simpson over their two children, reports Page Six.
In the docs obtained by TMZ, Hounsou made $1.1 million for A Quiet Place: Day One, $1.25 million for Red Car and $400,000 for the horror film The Monster.
He also made $300,000 each for The Rising and The Zealot and $250,000 for a couple of films in the Rebel Moon franchise.
Hounsou listed his monthly income as around $60,000 — but claims he spends around $85,000, including a $5,000 car note and nearly $10,000 for his mortgage.
The Blood Diamond star, 62, also said he spends $2,500 on groceries and household items, $2,500 on dining at restaurants, $2,500 on clothing and $2,500 on entertainment and vacations.
Hounsou also earned $150,000 for a project with FIFA and over $600,000 in residual income from different projects.
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However, Simpson believes her ex is raking in around $133,000 per month in income and has asked the court to award her $30,000 in interim lawyer fees and $10,000 to retain a financial expert for their legal battle.
The actor filed for joint custody of their minor son and daughter after he and Simpson got into a physical altercation last December.
The following month, Simpson was arrested and charged with assault and obstruction after the Golden Globe nominee told cops she struck him in the face when he ordered her to leave his Atlanta residence.
After the arrest, Simpson obtained a temporary restraining order, but later dismissed it after she and her ex reached an agreement.
Last year, Hounsou revealed he was “still struggling” financially despite his decades-long career and award nominations.
“I’ve been in the filmmaking business for over two decades with two Oscar nominations and many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid,” the Gladiator star said on CNN’s “African Voices Changemakers” in January 2025.
Hounsou — who believes the Academy Awards snubbed him for his breakout role as Cinqué in the 1997 film Amistad — shared that Hollywood still has to make a lot of progress toward diversity in the entertainment industry.
“This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon,” he said.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission.
