Yahoo Finance Chrissy Teigen shares relatable money woes before fame
Before Chrissy Teigan was an A-list celebrity with a mountain of TV work and hilarious Twitter posts behind her, she was a model, sleeping in the living room of an apartment she shared with six other girls.
She’s made her name being genuine and relatable, and speaking to Vanity Fair, she may have just made her most relatable comment yet.
Teigen told the publication that while she worked in Miami, modelling for South American clients, she didn’t make a lot of cash. In fact, she didn’t have a bank account.
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“I had no credit cards, I didn’t have a bank account, and it just didn’t occur to me to ask my dad for money,” she said.
And, she told Vanity Fair she ate McDonalds to save cash.
“I knew exactly how much it was with tax to get a McDouble and fries.”
In fact, at times her now-husband John Legend would wire her money to a nearby Western Union, or book a room at the Ritz-Carlton for Teigen to stay in and invite her roommates over.
It’s a far cry from where she is now: the 33-year-old was ranked 3rd in Forbes’ highest-paid models of 2017 and 2018 earning US$13.5 million (AU$19.7 million) and US$11.5 million in each year respectively.
Speaking to Market Watch in May this year, Teigen said her modeling days were “officially done,” saying the nerves were too much, instead focusing on food and TV.
“The things I get to do now are so fun, and things that I really want to be a part of,” she said.
And her top priority remains helping out her family.
“It’s really nice to be able to give back to your parents,” Teigen said, “and to be able to see them be comfortable for once in their lives.”
“My mom lives with us, my dad lives down the street. I remember all those times I was Western Unioning my parents when I was 20 living in Miami not making anything because all the cheques you would make would go back into modelling and being sucked into your apartment that you’re being overcharged for.”
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