Jenifer Lewis’s net worth 2025: When it comes to the motherly role in Hollywood, think of Jenifer Lewis. How much do you know about Jenifer Lewis? Read on as we take you through the biography, salary, earnings, and net worth of Jenifer Lewis. As a bonus, you’ll also learn how the Mother of Black Hollywood made her money
Who is Jenifer Lewis and How Much is She Worth?
Full Name | Jenifer Jeanette Lewis |
Date of Birth | January 25, 1957 |
Age | 68 Years |
Profession | Actress, Singer, Comedian and Activist |
Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.66 m) |
Country | United States of America |
Source of Wealth | Acting |
Net Worth | $3 Million |
Last Updated | February 2025 |
Jenifer Lewis is an American actress, singer, comedian and activist with an estimated net worth of $3 million. She is best known for playing roles of mothers in the films “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, “Poetic Justice”, “The Preacher’s Wife”, “The Brothers”, “Think Like a Man” amongst others.
Ever since making her acting debut, Lewis has starred in both supporting and leading roles in a number of movies, films, series and dramas. Since 2014, she has been starring as Rub Johnson in the ABC comedy series “Black-ish”.
So how much do you know about Jenifer Lewis? Read on as we take you through the journey of how Jenifer Lewis began her journey to fame.
Early Life
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis was born on January 25, 1957, in Kinloch, Missouri, United States. She was born to her father, Edward James who was a factory worker and her mother Dorothy Lewis, who was a nurse. Jenifer is the youngest of seven children. They were all brought up in a Christian home.
For her education, Lewis attended Kinloch High School. Following her graduation, she furthered at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. In 2015, she received an honorary degree from Webster University. She relocated to New York immediately after college to pursue a career in performing art.
Jenifer Lewis’ Career
Lewis made her Broadway debut with a minor role in the film “Eubie” in 1979. She then landed the role of Effie White in the film “Dreamgirls”. During that time, she started developing her nightclub act, “The Diva Is Dismissed’, an autobiographical comedy and music show in New York City.
Jenifer then moved to Los Angeles where she started appearing in television sitcoms including “Murphy Brown”, “Dream On”, “In Living Color”, “Roc”, “Hangin’ with Mr Cooper”, and “Friends”.
From 1991 to 1993 she was cast as Dean Davenport in the sixth and final season of the NBC sitcom “A Different World”. She also had a recurring role from 1991 to 1996 as Helen in the NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”.
In 1993, Lewis played the mother of Tupac Shakur’s character in the film “Poetic Justice”, and Zelma Bullock in the film “What’s Love Got to Do With It”. A year later she appeared as Mrs Coleman in the film “Renaissance Man”. She also played a role in “Corrina, Corrina”.
In 1995, Lewis played roles in “Panther” and “Dead Presidents”. Between 1996 and 1999, she played numerous roles in the films “Girl 6”, “The Preacher’s Wife”, “The Mighty”, “The Temptations”, “Mystery Men”, “Blast from the Past”, and “Jackie’s Back”.
In 2000, Lewis had a role in the drama film “Cast Away” and “Strong Medicine”. Between 2001 and 2009, she played both supporting and leading roles in a number of films including “Girlfriend”, “The Brothers”, “Meet the Browns”, “Juwanna Mann”, “The Cookout”, “Nora’s Hair Salon”, “Dirty Laundry”, and “Not Easily Broken”.
In 2010, she was cast in the film “Hereafter”. A year later, she starred in the film “Five”. She also played roles in “The Playboy Club”, “Think Like a Man”, “Think Like a Man Too”, “Baggage Claim”, and “The Wedding Ringer’.
Since 2014, she has been playing Ruby Johnson, Anthony Anderson‘s character’s mother in the ABC comedy series “Black-ish”.
In 2017, Lewis published a book about her life and career titled “The Mother of Black Hollywood”.
Personal Life
Eager to learn more about Jenifer Lewis’s personal life including her relationship status? According to reports Lewis has been married to Arnold Byrd since 2012. However, in a Breakfast Club Power interview in 2018, she revealed that she has never been married. She also admitted to being engaged four times.
Lewis also has a daughter named Charmaine Lewis who she adopted at the age of 12.
Social Media Accounts
The Mother of Black Hollywood is very active on social media. She often posts her projects and bits of her personal life on her social handles. As of the time of writing, Lewis has over 1.1 million Instagram followers and over 87,000 Twitter Followers. She also has over 500,000 Facebook followers.
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Jenifer Lewis Net Worth, Salary and Earnings 2025
As of February 2025, Jenifer Lewis has an estimated net worth of $3 million. Jenifer’s primary source of income is her acting career that has spanned over three decades. She has earned a considerable amount of money over the course of her career.
Lewis also earns money from brand promotions, sponsorships, endorsements commercials, and advertisements. She has worked with many brands over the course of her career.
Although her salary has not been made public, it is known that she earns a huge sum of money from her numerous movie and film projects. She is often described as the “Mother of Black Hollywood” due to her role as a mother in numerous films.
Summary
Jenifer Lewis is an American actress, singer, comedian and activist with an estimated net worth of $3 million. She is best known for playing the roles of mothers in different films, hence the name “Mother of Black Hollywood”. Lewis has been a consistent personality in the entertainment industry for over three decades.