Highlights
- Brett Butler's addiction and financial carelessness resulted in her losing her once $25 million net worth.
- Her addiction to Vicodin led to erratic behavior on set, co-star departures, and the cancelation of her sitcom, "Grace Under Fire."
- After a period of rehabilitation and sobriety, Butler faced financial struggles.
Brett Butler's once-illustrious career was overshadowed by her addiction and negative reputation in Hollywood. Unlike Steven Tyler, who still has a $150 million fortune, Butler's severe addiction took a toll not only on her well-being but also on her financial stability.
Butler's story was similar to Bradley Cooper's, wasting a fortune on his addictions before getting sober, and Kelsey Grammer's addiction that caused drama on the set of Frasier. After a series of personal struggles, Butler was forced to rely on crowdfunding just to afford her cost of living.
How Did Brett Butler Lose Her Net Worth And Become Broke?
Brett Butler was earning $250,000 per episode as the star of the ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire. At the peak of her career in the mid-1990s, she amassed around a $25 million net worth from the show, but she lost it all due to what she describes as profligate spending and financial carelessness.
Butler told The Hollywood Reporter:
"I was a little bit too trusting with some people that worked for me, and I had a lot of things stolen. 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."
Butler initially relied on a promised Grace Under Fire DVD deal worth $1 million, but the deal never materialized. She hoped for a comeback, but Butler's sporadic TV appearances yielded significantly less income than her Grace Under Fire days. She only earned the minimum salary for Hollywood, around $5,000 for a one-day shoot.
Brett Butler's Personal Information via People | |
|---|---|
Full Name | Brett Anderson |
Birthdate | January 30, 1958 |
Birthplace | Montgomery, Alabama US |
Parents | Roland Decatur Anderson Jr. |
Carol | |
Number of Siblings | 4 |
Previous Marriages | Charles Michael Wilson (1978 - 1981) |
Ken Zieger (1987 - 1999) | |
According to MovieWeb, in July 2021, Brett Butler and her friend, Lon Strickler, created a GoFundMe account to prevent Butler from being evicted from her Los Angeles apartment. Butler initially hesitated, but after Strickler convinced her, they set the fundraising goal at $15,000. This effort generated $12,583 from 246 donors.
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Inside Brett Butler's Substance Dependency And Abuse
When Brett Butler was discovered in the mid-1980s, she had already conquered alcoholism and survived an abusive marriage. Her entertainment career continued with the pressures of starring in Chuck Lorre's ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire, a series based on her own life.
Butler admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that she got addicted to Vicodin after it was prescribed to her for sciatica treatment. This led to Butler's erratic behavior on set, causing co-star departures, the show's abrupt cancelation in its fifth season, and significant financial losses for the producers.
"At the bloody bitter end, I really was difficult. I was out of my mind. Drugs will do that to you. The show should have been pulled sooner than it was."
Butler initially managed to keep her addiction under control, but clashes with the show's producers tainted her credibility. Butler acknowledged her difficulties and the toll of drug abuse on her professionalism and its cancelation was seen as a necessary intervention. Butler told TV Guide:
"Well yeah, after eight Vicodin and a coffee at a table read. It was just getting ridiculous... It's a rarefied playing field to have your own show and everything you need. There's just something inside of me that could not get filled up on this alone."
Brett Butler's Substance Addiction Cost Her Career
As Grace Under Fire entered its fourth season, Brett Butler's escalating addiction coincided with a decline in ratings. Butler's struggles led to her first stint in rehab, delaying the fifth-season premiere to November 1997. After Butler's multiple relapses and missed tapings, ABC decided to cancel the show, but Butler still managed to earn Golden Globe nominations for her performance in the sitcom.
The cancelation of Grace Under Fire made Butler clean up her addiction to painkillers in over six months. Butler took responsibility for her role in the show's downfall. She achieved sobriety in July 1998 and has remained drug and alcohol-free since. Butler told THR:
"I'll definitely take the hit for the crash and burn... I was the star of the show, so I need to take that full-on. I'm awfully guilt-ridden for a gentile girl."
Brett Butler's Television Shows:
- Grace Under Fire - 1993 to 1998
- Ellen - 1997
- Coach - 1997
- Moochers - 2006
- The Young and the Restless - 2012
- Anger Management - 2012 to 2014
- The Leftovers - 2015 to 2017
- How to Get Away with Murder - 2016
- The Walking Dead - 2018 to 2019
- The Morning Show - 2019
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Brett Butler's Financial Struggles Led Her To Depression
In the early 2000s, Butler left Hollywood and moved to Georgia. Butler purchased a farm she found online, but unfortunately, this ended in disappointment. Butler struggled to meet mortgage payments, ultimately losing the property.
In 2012, Charlie Sheen advocated for Butler to secure a role as a cocktail waitress on his sitcom Anger Management. This provided Butler with the opportunity to bounce back financially and professionally. In 2019, after completing The Walking Dead and starting The Morning Show, Butler faced another setback in the form of a profound bout of depression.
Brett Butler's Movies:
- Bruno - 2000
- Militia - 2000
- Mrs. Harris - 2005
- Vampire Bats - 2005
- The Comedian - 2016
- Friday's Child - 2018
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Charlie Sheen may never regain the same level of fame and fortune as the Two and a Half Men era, but he has successfully navigated his way back.Butler suffered from suicidal thoughts and agoraphobia. Her mental struggles also came with the looming threat of homelessness due to the production slowdown of the pandemic lockdowns. She told THR:
"My dad was an untreated bipolar alcoholic, and stuff first started popping up for me when I was about 50… The blanket of the pandemic was something I hid behind. I let it cover my own insecurities or failings..."
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