Billy Porter Says He Is Forced To Sell His Home Amid Strike; His Net Worth Has Fallen Since The Announcement

Billy Porter is selling his house to make ends meet amid the Hollywood strikes. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike began on May 2, after the association was unable to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) regarding fair compensation and the future of AI use in the Entertainment industry.

The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG AFTRA) joined the strike on July 14, after it similarly failed to reach a fair agreement.

“I have to sell my house,” Porter, 53, said in an interview with The Evening Standard. Porter said that he was supposed to star in a movie and a TV show which are currently not moving forward due to the ongoing strikes. “Because we’re on strike. And I don’t know when we’re gonna go back. The life of an artist, until you make f–kyou money — which I haven’t made yet — is still check-to-check,” Porter said in the interview.

“So to the person who said, ‘We’re going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments’ — you’ve already starved me out,” Porter quipped, referring to an article published by Deadline in July.

Due to the strike, several professionals in the industry have found themselves out of work for an extended and indefinite period and those without any safety nets are suffering the most.

Despite being an award-winning actor and a fashion icon, Porter is in a difficult financial state due to the strikes, and after his statement, his estimated net worth has taken a massive hit as well.

What is Billy Porter’s Net Worth and Income?

Billy Porter has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of August 9, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Days before Porter expressed that he would be selling his apartment, Porter’s estimated net worth was about $4 million. As per the publication's latest estimates, his net worth has fallen by over $3 million.

The biggest source of Billy Porter’s income is a career in entertainment where he has been an actor, a singer, and a dancer since the 1990s. He got his big break on the American talent show “Star Search” in 1992 which he won and bagged a whopping $100,000.

However, during a 2021 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Porter revealed that he did not make as much money as people thought he did. He said, after taxes, he got about $44,000, out of the total prize money.

In 2018, Porter starred in the drama series ‘Pose’ which is about New York City's ball culture, and an LGBTQ subculture. As per the NCESC, Porter earned an annual salary of $300,000 and won an Emmy Award for his work on the show. 

Porter has also released several solos and music albums and appeared in several films in the course of his career. Despite not being able to act in films or TV shows, he is reported to be working on his fifth album.

In addition, Porter has 2.2 million followers on Instagram and  YouTube channel with 79.8 K subscribers and he earns around $1K to $14 K from the channel per year, as per Social Blade. 

Brand Endorsements

In 2019, Porter was named an Official Ambassador for “New York Fashion Week: Mens by the Council of Fashion Designers of America” and in 2022 he worked as the creative director of The “Smith Society”, which launched men's swimwear.

Real Estate

The home that Porter is referring to sell, is presumably the property on Long Island he bought in October 2020 for $1.4 million with his then-husband Adam Smith, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The property is estimated to be $2 million today and as of August 9, Porter hadn’t listed it for sale, the publication noted.