10 Celebrities Who Were on SNAP Before They Got Rich
Written by
Kerra Bolton
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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Even the biggest stars sometimes start with empty wallets.
For millions of Americans, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, offers a lifeline during difficult times. The same was true for these well-known names, who relied on food assistance before achieving fame and fortune.
Their stories show that early financial hardship doesn’t have to define your future. Here are 10 celebrities who used food stamps before they got rich.
Scarlett Johansson
Net worth: $165 million
Before she became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses, Scarlett Johansson’s family relied on welfare and food stamps while living in New York City. In a Bravo, “Inside the Actor’s Studio” interview, Johansson said those years gave her a lasting respect for working-class families and shaped her strong work ethic.
Katy Perry
Net worth: $400 million
Long before her hit singles topped global charts, Katy Perry’s family depended on food stamps and food banks. The pop star told People that her parents, who were traveling ministers, struggled to make ends meet. The experience inspired Perry and her older sister, Angela Lerche, to launch Firework Foundation in 2018 to help kids in underserved communities.
Leighton Meester
Net worth: $8 million
The “Gossip Girl” actress was born into hardship. Her mother was incarcerated when Leighton was born, and her family survived on public assistance and food stamps. Meester has said in an interview with Brit + Co that her upbringing gave her empathy and resilience that carried into her acting career. In 2023, Meester partnered with Feeding America to support hunger relief efforts.
Auli’i Cravalho
Net worth: $2 million
The “Moana” star grew up in a single-parent household in Hawaii, where food stamps helped keep the fridge full. Cravalho told People magazine that she’s proud of her roots. Her film success enabled her to buy her mother a house and retire happily.
Chrishell Stause
Net worth: $6 million
The “Selling Sunset” star’s family often relied on food stamps to get by when she was young. In her memoir, “Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work,” Stause described growing up in poverty as the fuel that pushed her to work hard and achieve financial independence.
Whoopi Goldberg
Net worth: $60 million
Before becoming an EGOT winner, Whoopi Goldberg was a single mother struggling to make ends meet in New York City. She has said in interviews that she used food stamps to support herself and her daughter before breaking into comedy and film.
Chris Kirkpatrick
Net worth: $10 million
Before *NSYNC fame, Chris Kirkpatrick grew up in a low-income household with his mother and siblings. He has said his family often relied on food stamps, free school lunches, and donated items to get by.
Misha Collins
Net worth: $2 million
Before finding fame on “Supernatural”, actor Misha Collins grew up in poverty and was sometimes homeless. In an essay for The New York Times, he described how his family used food stamps to buy essentials, and occasionally “distracted the cashier by casually buying a few inexpensive items with food stamps” to cover larger grocery runs. Collins has said those experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to social justice and community work.
Viola Davis
Net worth: $25 million
Before becoming an Oscar-winning actress, Viola Davis grew up in poverty in Central Falls, Rhode Island. In her memoir “Finding Me,” she wrote about relying on food stamps to help feed her large family and groceries that often ran out before the month’s end. Davis has said that those early experiences living with hunger and her neighbor’s advice to have a plan to escape poverty planted the first seed of her ambition.
Sandra Lee
Net worth: $20 million
Before her rise as a Food Network star, Sandra Lee grew up caring for her younger siblings while her mother struggled with instability and addiction. She has said in interviews that her family relied on food stamps and welfare to afford basic groceries and clothing, experiences that later shaped her practical approach to cooking and home life.
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