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Maria Menounos is a journalist and television personality best known for her work as a correspondent on Today, Extra, and Access Hollywood among others. She is also slated to appear as one of the hosts on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
With such a busy work schedule, many many wonder how much Menounos has made throughout her career. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Menounos has an estimated net worth of $9 million. Read on to learn how she made her money and how she likes to spend it.
1. She Signed a Multi-Year Hosting Contract With E! Network In 2014
Menounos began her career as an Entertainment Weekly correspondent in 2002. She left the program in 2005 to focus on her acting career, though she would join Access Hollywood as a correspondent the following year. She would go on to co-host Extra with Mario Lopez from 2011 to 2014, where she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program.
In May 2014, Menounos signed a lucrative multiyear contract with E! Network to create her own shows. “We’re so excited to have Maria join the E! team to help drive the growth,” said E! President of News Cyndi McClellan. “With her undeniable charisma and deep industry relationships, Maria has a huge fan following as one of the premier entertainment news personalities in Hollywood today… We’re thrilled to bring her talents to the network and to collaborate with her as we create and develop exciting new programming together.”
Upon signing the deal, Menounos was ecstatic. “To be able to host, report and produce for an entire network, one that spans globally no less, is thrilling,” she told he Hollywood Reporter. “I’m excited to exercise my talents on both sides of the camera [and] I’m equally excited to join a team of hosts and producers that are amongst the finest in our industry.”
2. She Was Sued for Defamation By Celebrity Stylist Lindsay Albanese Won the Case In 2013
Shortly after leaving her hosting gig on Extra, Menounos was sued for an undisclosed amount by celebrity stylist Lindsay Albanese. Albanese, who served as Menounos’ stylist from 2005 to 2009, claimed that she attended a gift suite event in Hollywood where Menounos began verbally attacking her. According to her statement, Menounous “loudly accused [Albanese] of stealing by claiming, ‘Dolce and Gabbana won’t lend to me anymore because they said you never return anything.'”
Albanese said she denied these claims but added that Menounos said she had stealing from her as well. Albanese told the Los Angeles Court that she has lost clients as a result of these false accusations. She sued Menounos for defamation, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Menounos’ attorney Bryan Feedman told the Hollywood Reporter that Albanese’s was untrue. “This lawsuit, if it can even be called that, is absolutely meritless and a poor attempt to extort money from Ms. Menounos,” he said. “The truth about the plaintiff will come out soon, and when it does, the court will throw this ridiculous case out and award our client any costs she may incur.”
Both parties eventually reached a settlement agreement in December 2013. The settlement decreed that Menounos had to release potential claims for malicious prosecution and abuse of process for Albanese, but that she didn’t have to pay her anything.
3. She Has Regularly Spoken About the Pay Gap Between Her & Her Male Co-Hosts
After finding out that her E! News colleague Catt Sadler quit after finding out that her male co-host was being paid more, Menounos supported her. “I know this wasn’t easy,” she said. “Good for you.” When asked to elaborate on the pay gap issue, however, Menounos stated that it isn’t always a matter of gender, but rather importance. She cited LeBron James as an example of someone who earns more than his teammates because of his importance.
“Sometimes there are those key players that are going to make more, who are seemingly doing the same thing, but have a bigger career, bigger name — a bigger name that they’ve built that is commanding of more money,” she told Page Six. “So, there are going to be instances where it’s not always equal.”
4. Her Husband Keven Undergaro Has An Estimated Net Worth of $10 Million
In addition to Menounos’ own net worth, her husband Keven Undergaro has a sizable fortune of his own. Undergaro is the creator of AfterBuzz TV, which has become one of the world’s largest online broadcasting network according to Celebrity Net Worth. In 2015 AfterBuzz TV reached a whopping one billion downloads for the second consecutive year. In addition to AfterBuzz, Undergaro has created Black Hollywood Live, The Popcorn Talk Network, and Book Circle Online.
Undergaro, 51, has also written and produced several films and television shows for different networks, including Longtime Listener (2006), Fwiends.com (2006), and Adventures of Serial Buddies (2011). In 2017, he created the ABC series America’s Dance Battle along with Julianne Hough and Menounos. Undergaro is credited as the executive producer on Menounos’ Sirius XM series Conversations with Maria.
5. She’s Currently Signed to WWE As an Ambassador & Occasional Wrestler
Menounos has been vocal of her WWE fandom throughout her career. She cohosted the Hall of Fame red carpet and the Kickoff Show for WrestleMania 33, and conducted backstage interviews for WrestleMania 31-33. She is currently signed to the WWE as an ambassador and occasional wrestler.
“I love WWE. It’s like another home for me,” Menounos told TV Insider. “So I love coming home and being a part of everything I can be. Sometimes I look at the schedule and say, ‘Wow, I’m super booked.’ But it means so much to me, and it means so much to be part of events that are giving back, especially ones where we are trying to get people to take control of their health. I think it’s an important thing to do.”
“I always want to get in the ring,” she added, referencing her brief stints in the ring. “Although Keven and I have been trying to do the baby thing for a little while. At some point, if it doesn’t work, then maybe I’ll be back. The girls are so good today. It’s so hard to imagine jumping back in, but I would love it. Being in there is one of my proudest accomplishments.”