Net Worth Ranker
What Is Fantasia’s Net Worth?
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor, known mononymously as Fantasia, an American R&B singer and actress, has an estimated net worth of $500,000 as of April 2025. This valuation reflects a career marked by both significant achievements and well-documented financial challenges.
Early Career and Initial Success
Fantasia was born on June 30, 1984, in High Point, North Carolina. She began singing at the tender age of five, revealing that her musical talent was evident from a young age. Her family background includes musical relatives like her uncles in The Barrino Brothers, and her cousins, K-Ci & JoJo. Barrino attended Andrews High School. However, her education was interrupted after she dropped out at 14. She became a mother at 16, welcoming her daughter Zion on August 8, 2001. Zion’s father is Brandel Shouse. While there aren’t specific figures available regarding income during her early life, these formative experiences shaped her path to stardom.
“American Idol” and Immediate Earnings
Fantasia’s rise to prominence began with her victory on the third season of “American Idol” on May 26, 2004. The immediate aftermath of her win included a tour with fellow finalists. She also starred in the Christmas special “Kelly, Ruben and Fantasia: Home For the Holidays.” Following her “American Idol” win, she signed a deal with J Records/19 Entertainment. Her debut single, “I Believe,” was released in June 2004 and debuted at number one on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart. The “I Believe” CD single became the top-selling single in the U.S. for 2004. While the exact contract details with J Records/19 Entertainment are not publicly available, record deals for “American Idol” winners typically include advances, royalties on album sales, and potential bonuses based on performance. Her debut album, “Free Yourself,” released in November 2004, was certified Platinum, indicating sales of over one million copies. Income from album sales would be a significant component of her early earnings.
Music Career: Albums and Singles
Fantasia has released seven studio albums, each contributing to her income stream through sales, streaming, and royalties. “Free Yourself” (2004) achieved Platinum certification, indicating over 1 million units sold. Her second album, “Fantasia” (2006), featured the Gold-certified single “When I See U,” with Gold certification representing 500,000 units sold. Her subsequent albums include “Back to Me” (2010), “Side Effects of You” (2013), “The Definition Of…” (2016), “Christmas After Midnight” (2017), and “Sketchbook” (2019). Sales figures for these later albums are not as readily available, but they would still contribute to her overall earnings. In 2011, she won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Bittersweet.” Her single “I Believe” won Top Selling Single of the Year and Top Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year at the 2004 “Billboard” Music Awards.
Broadway and Acting Roles
Fantasia expanded her career beyond music by venturing into acting, which provided additional income streams. She made her Broadway debut in April 2007, playing Celie in “The Color Purple”. She earned critical acclaim for her performance. She reprised the role in 2009 for the musical’s national tour. She played herself in the 2006 Lifetime movie “The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairy Tale”. In 2013, Fantasia returned to Broadway for the musical revue “After Midnight” and co-wrote and performed “In the Middle of the Night,” the theme song for the film “The Butler.” Salaries for Broadway performances vary widely depending on the role, the success of the production, and the performer’s star power. It’s estimated that Fantasia would have earned a substantial weekly salary during her runs in “The Color Purple” and “After Midnight.” Details about her compensation for these roles remain private.
Financial Difficulties and Real Estate Transactions
Despite her success, Fantasia has faced significant financial challenges. In 2013, she handed the keys to her home over to a bank reportedly to prevent foreclosure. She has also filed for bankruptcy at least once. In a June 2019 interview, Fantasia stated: “A lot of celebrities look like they have money, but in real life they don’t have much. I lost everything twice.” In 2004, Fantasia purchased a 4,541 square foot home in Charlotte, North Carolina, for $740,000. She sold it for $465,000 in 2018, incurring a loss on the sale. She also owned a 6,600 square foot Charlotte mansion, which she purchased for $1.3 million in 2007. This property faced foreclosure in 2009. She put the home on the market for $800,000 in 2012, but it failed to sell, and Barrino signed the 6-bedroom estate over to the bank in February 2013. These real estate transactions illustrate the financial difficulties Fantasia has experienced despite her career earnings.
Personal Life and Relationships
Barrino has dated Michael Clayton, a former NFL player/Super Bowl champion, and rapper Young Dro, and she married businessman Kendall Taylor on July 18, 2015. She gave birth to son Dallas on December 13, 2011, and his father is reportedly Antwaun Cook. In August 2010, a Mecklenburg County District Court divorce filing accused Fantasia of having been in a relationship with Cook for a year, but she testified that the relationship didn’t begin until Antwaun was separated, and the judge ruled in her favor, saying that the separation date was nine months earlier than Cook’s estranged wife had claimed. Later that month, Fantasia was hospitalized after overdosing on aspirin and a sleep aid; she later admitted that it was a suicide attempt, telling “People” magazine “I knew exactly what I was doing. You can’t accidentally take a whole bottle of pills.” In Fantasia’s 2005 memoir, she stated that she was functionally illiterate. Her father filed a $10 million lawsuit against Simon & Schuster in 2006, alleging that some of the things Barrino said about him in the book were false; he also claimed that the book was written by Addie Collins, Fantasia’s grandmother. The outcomes of these personal challenges and legal issues could have impacted her financial standing, though specific details are not publicly available.
Awards, Recognition, and Endorsements
Fantasia has received numerous awards and nominations throughout her career, enhancing her reputation and potential earning power. In 2011, Fantasia won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Bittersweet.” Her single “I Believe” won Top Selling Single of the Year and Top Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year at the 2004 “Billboard” Music Awards. In 2005, it was named Top R&B/Hip-Hop Single by the “Billboard” American Urban Radio Networks. That year, Barrino also won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist, a “Vibe” Music Award for R&B Voice of the Year, and an Emmis Communications/Hot-97 “KISS-FM” Phenomenal Woman Award. She also won NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Duo or Group (with Jennifer Hudson) in 2009 and Outstanding Song (for “Bittersweet”) in 2011. In 2006, both “Free Yourself” and “Truth is” received Most Performed Song awards at the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards. Fantasia’s performance in “The Color Purple” earned her a Broadway.com Award for Favorite (Female) Replacement and a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance in 2007. While the specific financial impact of these awards is not quantified, they likely contributed to increased opportunities and recognition, potentially leading to endorsement deals and higher performance fees. Any endorsement deals Fantasia may have secured are not public information, making it difficult to assess their contribution to her net worth. She was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2014, and in 2012, she was ranked #32 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Women in Music” special.
