What was John Singleton Net Worth and Salary?
John Singleton was an American director, writer and producer who had a net worth of $35 million at the time of his death in April 2019. John Singleton attended Pasadena City College before graduating from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, in 1990. He made his film debut a year later with 1991's "Boyz n the Hood." For that picture, Singleton became the youngest person and first African-American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director. The film also earned John an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay. That same year Singleton directed Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" music video, which starred Eddie Murphy. Six years later, his movie "Rosewood", was part of the Berlin International Film Festival and in 2003, he directed "2 Fast 2 Furious" starring Paul Walker.
Other directorial credits include "Poetic Justice", "Higher Learning", "Shaft", "Baby Boy", "Four Brothers" and "Abduction". Singleton produced "Higher Learning", "Shaft", "Baby Boy", "Hustle & Flow", "Back Snake Moan" and "Illegal Tender". He appeared in "8 Mile" as himself and on The CW's TV series "The Game" in 2013. In 2017 he created the series "Snowfall" for FX.
Stroke and Family Feud
In April 2019, John suffered what was reported as a "major stroke" by many outlets and remained in a medically-induced coma for over a week. He reportedly first experienced weakness in his legs after returning from a vacation in Costa Rica. He slipped into a coma after suffering from the stroke and this triggered a family war between his mother and one of his children. His mother Sheila, who has served as his business manager for many years, reportedly sought a conservatorship over John's estate to take control over his business dealings while he was incapacitated. One of his children, a daughter named Cleopatra, claimed that John's mother was planning to liquidate his assets to cut out the rest of the family. Cleopatra also claimed that John was doing much better than media outlets had reported. Unfortunately those claims turned out to be false. Tragically, John Singleton died on April 29, 2019 at the age of 51.
Early Life
John Singleton was born on January 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, California to Shelia, a sales executive for a pharmaceutical company, and Danny, a real estate agent, financial planner, and mortgage broker. Growing up, he turned to movies, comic books, and video games to escape the drugs and partying that surrounded him in his neighborhood. Singleton was educated at Eisenhower High School, Blair High School, and Pasadena City College before attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He graduated from USC in 1990.
Boyz n the Hood
Singleton made his feature film debut in 1991 with the coming-of-age crime drama "Boyz n the Hood," which he wrote and directed. Starring an ensemble cast featuring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, Regina King, and many others, the film focuses on childhood friends growing up in crime-ridden South Central LA. "Boyz n the Hood" was a major critical and commercial hit, earning Singleton Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In addition to becoming the first African-American person to receive a Best Director nomination, he also became the youngest, at the age of 24.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Further Film Career
After the success of "Boyz n the Hood," Singleton wrote and directed his second film, "Poetic Justice," a romantic drama starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. The film earned mixed reviews from critics upon its release in 1993, but later gained a cult following. Singleton's next film was 1995's "Higher Learning," about racial tensions on a university campus; its cast features Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rapaport, and Ice Cube. After that, Singleton directed the historical drama "Rosewood," based on the 1923 Rosewood massacre in Florida. Released in 1997, it stars Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, and Don Cheadle. Singleton went on to co-write and direct the 2000 remake of "Shaft," starring Samuel L. Jackson in the titular role, and to write and direct the 2001 coming-of-age dramedy "Baby Boy," starring Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson, and Snoop Dogg. Following those, he directed the action sequel "2 Fast 2 Furious," released in 2003.
In 2005, Singleton served as a producer on the hip hop drama "Hustle & Flow," starring Terrence Howard in an Academy Award-nominated performance. Also that year, he directed the blaxploitation-inspired action film "Four Brothers," starring Tyrese Gibson, Mark Wahlberg, André Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund as adopted brothers who return to their native Detroit, Michigan to avenge the murder of their mother. In 2006, Singleton co-produced "Black Snake Moan," directed by "Hustle & Flow" director Craig Brewer and starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. The following year, he produced the crime film "Illegal Tender." Singleton's ninth and final film as director, the action thriller "Abduction," came out in 2011. The Taylor Lautner-starring film was a critical bomb, prompting Singleton to transition to television.
Television Career
Focusing exclusively on television in the 2010s, Singleton directed episodes of the series "Empire" and "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." For his direction of the fifth episode of the latter show, he earned an Emmy Award nomination. In 2017, Singleton directed the pilot of the BET police drama "Rebel" as well as an episode of the Showtime drama "Billions." He also co-created the FX crime drama "Snowfall," starring Damson Idris as a fledgling young drug dealer from South Central LA during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Singleton cowrote the first two episodes of the series and directed the finales for the first two seasons. "Snowfall" went on to air for a total of six seasons, ending in 2023.
Advocacy and Influence
Throughout his career, Singleton was a vocal advocate for African American filmmakers and for greater representation within Hollywood. He consistently used his platform to highlight social and political issues, and his films often sparked broader conversations about race, culture, and identity. His influence extended beyond his own work, as he opened doors for other filmmakers and actors of color.
Personal Life and Death
With his first wife, Tosha Lewis, Singleton had a daughter named Justice. From his relationship with Vestria Barlow, he had a son named Maasai and a daughter named Cleo. In 1996, Singleton married Ghanaian actress, director, and songwriter Akosua Busia, with whom he had a daughter named Hadar before divorcing in 1997. He later had a daughter with Mitzi Andrews and a son with Rayvon Jones. In 1999, Singleton pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery charges after attacking an ex-girlfriend during a dispute, and was ordered to serve three years of probation and make a film about domestic violence.
In April of 2019, Singleton had a stroke and was placed in intensive care. A week later, it was reported that he was in a coma. On April 28, Singleton passed away after being removed from life support. A private funeral was held in early May in Los Angeles, and Singleton was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.
