With all the divorce drama going on with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast, one could look to Jennifer Tilly on how to do it right. She maintained a close friendship with ex-husband Sam Smith after their 1991 break up. Not only that, The Simpsons co-creator made sure his ex-wife was very well taken care of in their settlement.
Compare that perfectly amicable separation to the likes of Jennifer’s costars. Erika Jayne got dragged into a massive legal situation with her split from Tom Girardi. RHOBH fans are watching Dorit Kemsley gear up to take on PK Kemsley as their separation turns ugly. Sutton Stracke is ever reliving her nasty divorce, though she made out very well with the financials. Yes, Jennifer’s story is a nice divergence from it all.
Divorce “liberated” Jennifer Tilly and Sam Simon to become close friends
“We were very close after we got divorced,” Jennifer revealed during The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show. “He was probably my best friend for 30 years. It seemed weird, once I wasn’t saddled with being a wife and all the expectations that came along with being a wife, then it seemed like it liberated us to be really close. Because we were there because we wanted to be there.”
The former couple stayed close until Sam passed away in 2015. Jennifer even functioned as Sam’s caregiver while he battled cancer.
“I knew that he loved me, but I don’t remember him ever saying it until he was sick,” the RHOBH newbie shared. “In the last years of his life and I was taking care of him, then he said it all the time to me. It was really nice. I’m sure he must’ve said it when we were married, but I don’t remember it.”
Ongoing royalties from The Simpsons gave Jennifer a fortune
Jennifer shared details of her divorce settlement during the December 3 episode. Though Sam was generous, neither he nor Jennifer could imagine how lucrative their arrangement would be for her due to ongoing royalties.
“I was married to him for seven years and we were together for about 10 years,” the Oscar nominee said. “And then, when we got divorced, I got a piece of The Simpsons in the divorce settlement, and nobody knew that The Simpsons was going to go on for trillions of years.”
She added, “So every day, honestly, every day I’m like, ‘Thank you, Sam!'”
Jennifer has become a fan favorite for being true to herself, funny, and quite humble about her lot in life. Will she continue to add comedic relief for the RHOBH cast for seasons to come?
Catch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO JENNIFER AND SAM’S RELATIONSHIP? DO YOU HAVE ANY REACTION TO HER COMMENTS?
