The Deals That Reality Stars Receive Just for Being Themselves.

By: Katrina Yu, Associate at Entertainment Law Partners

Ever since the explosion of reality television shows on all major cable networks, we have seen the “talent” of individuals ranging from Shawn Johnson (“Dancing With the Stars”) to Kim Kardashian (“Keeping Up With The Kardashians”) to Honey Boo Boo (“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”) and the infamous cast of The Jersey Shore. These individuals have filled our TV sets with joy, laughter, confusion, frustration, anger, and for some, just pure adulterated-entertainment. So exactly how much do these “talented”individuals make for a living and are their entertainment values worth the price tag?

Starting with the cast of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” the pro-dancers reportedly made $1,600/episode during the shows’ earlier seasons, and currently make around $5,200/episode, plus bonuses for making it into the final rounds. This adds up to about $57,200 for the 3 pro-dancers who make it all the way to week 11 of the show. $57,200 might not seem like a lot at first glance, but in reality, $57,200 for 11 weeks is only about 3 months worth of work, and even then, it is higher than most professionals receive as a yearly salary. Of course, for those unlucky pro-dancers that get booted after the 2^ndweek, they would only make $10,400, but that is still a huge payday for two weeks worth of hard labor.

However, $57,200 is pocket change compared to the salaries that the “stars” receive for being on the show. According to various sources, each celebrity (regardless of his/her star power) gets a base salary of $125K just for being on the show! That alone is more than double what the pros make for the entire season! In addition, the “Stars” are given additional salaries per week as they progress in the show. The winner of this reality series can earn up to $365K for the show, more than 6 times what the actual professional dancers make!

Remarkably, the price tag only gets more interesting when talking about other shows. For example, each “cast” member of the new TLC hit “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”reportedly earned $5K to $7K/episode that was later increased to $15K to $20K/episode, by episode 2! The 6 members of the Honey Boo Boo clan made roughly $140K to $187K collectively this year for their 10 episode series! It has been further reported that TLC has even offered to cover various expenses for the family including hiring a bodyguard, a driver and even purchasing a new house.

Advancing from Honey Boo Boo, we come to the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore. The guidos and guidettes of this popular MTV series reportedly started off their fame with a measly $5K/episode, which roughly translated to about $45K for Season 1. However, after the show's success, it has been reported that in Season 2, the main cast of Jersey Shore made $10K (twice the amount from Season 1) per episode during its 13 episodes run. In Season 3, that price tag per person tripled to $30K/episode. By its 4^th Season, the cast was so invaluable to MTV, that they were able to negotiate a $100K/episode deal that gave the“stars” a final paycheck of $1.2 million for the entire season! The cast is now hopefully in their final season of taping, and each main cast member reportedly receives $150K/episode in this 12 episodes season. That is $1.8 million just for being J-Woww, Snooki, the Situation, Vinny, Pauly D and Deena! This does not even include the multiple side gigs that each of the “star” gets paid for throughout the year!

Lastly, we come to the Mother of all Reality TV stars, the one and only Ms. Kim Kardashian. In 2007, Ms. K made $5 million alone when she settled her lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment for her sex tape with Ray J. That in turn provided Ms. K with a reported $15K/episode for her very own reality show on E!’s ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians.’ Since 2007, Ms. K’s salary on the reality series has increased to $40K/episode and the show is now in its 7^thSeason in addition to various spin offs. Additionally, she also reportedly made $18 million alone off endorsements and TV rights.

Ms. Kardashian is the epitome of all that is miraculous, great, and exciting in this vast world of entertainment culture. You never know if the next “big thing” is the homeless man around the corner or the talented YouTube singer that is trying to raise money to produce his/her first record. In the end, the only thing that matters is if the public is infatuated with you. And, if they are, let the negotiations for higher fees begin!

COPYRIGHT and DISCLAIMER

Katrina Yu is an Assoicate at Entertainment Law Partners dedicated to corporate, business and entertainment affairs. You may contact her at Katrina@entlawpartners.com.

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DISCLAIMER: Readers should consult with a lawyer before solely relying on any information contained herein. (c) Entertainment Law Partners