Djimon Hounsou’s custody battle has pulled back the curtain on the kind of movie paychecks most actors never discuss publicly. New court filings reveal the Gladiator star’s reported earnings from several recent films, even after he previously said he was struggling financially despite decades in Hollywood.
The figures surfaced during his ongoing dispute with ex Ri’za Simpson. They also reignited conversation about Hounsou’s past comments on pay inequality.
New court filings outline Djimon Hounsou’s reported earnings from blockbuster films
According to TMZ, Hounsou filed a financial declaration as part of the custody case involving the couple’s two children. The documents list payments for several recent projects, including $1.1 million for “A Quiet Place: Day One” and $1.25 million for “Red Car” alongside Halle Berry and Scott Eastwood.
The filing also lists $400,000 for The Monster, $300,000 each for “The Rising” and “The Zealot,” and $250,000 for work on two Rebel Moon films. The actor also reported earning more than $600,000 in residual payments and another $150,000 through a FIFA project.
The declaration paints a complicated financial picture. Hounsou reported an average monthly income of roughly $60,000 while estimating monthly expenses at about $85,000. The filing listed a $5,000 car payment, a $9,700 mortgage, and $2,500 each for groceries, dining out, clothing, and entertainment. He also stated that acting jobs remain unpredictable and his income fluctuates significantly.
His former partner disputes those numbers. The report states Simpson believes Hounsou actually earns closer to $133,000 each month. She has asked the court for $30,000 in interim attorney’s fees and another $10,000 to hire a financial expert.
The legal fight follows a domestic dispute last December. Hounsou later filed for joint custody of their son and daughter. Police arrested Simpson after the incident on an assault charge, although she denied the allegations. She later secured a temporary restraining order before both sides reached an agreement that led to its dismissal.
The financial disclosures also follow Hounsou’s widely discussed interview with CNN earlier this year. “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,” he said. He also argued Hollywood still has work to do on diversity, adding, “This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.”
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