Mike Epps Net Worth

What is Mike Epps' Net Worth and Salary?

Mike Epps is an American comedian, actor, producer, musician, and rap artist who has a net worth of $5 million. Mike Epps first broke through in the late 1990s as a stand-up, developing a style rooted in observational comedy, family chaos, and unfiltered personal storytelling. His big mainstream breakthrough came when he took over the role of Day-Day Jones in the comedy franchise "Friday," appearing in both "Next Friday" and "Friday After Next." Those performances turned him into a recognizable box-office comedy presence and established him as a reliable scene-stealer.

Throughout the 2000s, Epps became a familiar face in studio comedies, including "All About the Benjamins," "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," "The Hangover," and "Sparkle." While often cast in comedic roles, he also demonstrated range in more dramatic or grounded projects, gradually expanding beyond the buddy-comedy lane that defined his early film career. At the same time, stand-up remained his core business. His comedy specials, including "Under Rated & Never Faded" and "Don't Take It Personal," reinforced his reputation as a touring powerhouse capable of selling out large venues.

In television, Epps found renewed momentum with Netflix's "The Upshaws," where he stars as the lead and serves as an executive producer. The series showcased a more mature, character-driven side of his comedy and introduced him to a new generation of viewers. Beyond performing, Epps has invested in producing, writing, and music projects, steadily reshaping his career from pure stand-up comic to multi-hyphenate entertainer. Over more than two decades, he has remained culturally relevant by evolving his material while staying rooted in the comedic voice that made him famous.

Early Life

Michael Elliot Epps was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 18^th, 1970. His parents are Mary Reed and Tommy Epps. His comic abilities were encouraged at a young age. Epps began performing stand-up as a teenager. Epps moved to Atlanta, where he worked at the Comedy Act Theater, before moving to Brooklyn.

Comedy and Film Career

Mike Epp's big break came in 1995 when he moved to Brooklyn and joined the "Def Comedy Jam" tour. He also starred in two of HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" broadcasts. These opportunities helped launch his comedy career and helped him gain wider recognition.

His first film appearance was in Vin Diesel's directorial debut, "Strays" (1997). He was then cast as Ice Cube's co-star in the film "Next Friday" (1999), the second movie in the "Friday" franchise. He received the opportunity to audition for the role of Day-Day Jones after Ice Cube attended one of his stand-up sets and invited him to try out. He would go on to reprise his role as Day-Day Jones in the film "Friday After Next" (2002). That same year, he also worked with Ice Cube in the film "All About the Benjamins" (2002). Other films he worked on during this period of the late 1990s/early 2000s include "How High" (2001), starring Method Man and Redman; "3 Strikes" (2000); "Bait" (2000), supporting Jamie Foxx; and "Dr. Dolittle 2", in which he voiced the role of Sonny the Bear. He has also voiced another bear character, Boog, in the film "Open Season 2" (2008).

The year 2008 was highly productive for Epps. That year, he appeared in the ensemble comedy "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" along with Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones, and Joy Bryant; "The Grand," directed by Zak Penn and starring Woody Harrelson and Cheryl Hines; "Soul Men," starring Samuel L. Jackson; and "Hancock," starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron. In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Willie Earl in the movie "Jumping the Broom" (2011). Epps has also been nominated for a BET Comedy Award, Black Reel Awards, and more. In 2012, he landed his first non-comedic acting role opposite Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in the film "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 film with the same title. He portrayed the character Satin, who is the main antagonist.

Other films Epps has appeared in include "Malibu's Most Wanted" (2003), "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004), "The Honeymooners" (2005), "Resident Evil: Extinction" (2007), "The Hangover" (2009), and "The Hangover Part III" (2013). He has starred in movies like "The Fighting Temptations" (2003) opposite Beyoncé, "Repentance" (2014), "School Dance" (2014), "Stealing Cars" (2015), "Nina" (2016), "Meet the Blacks" (2016), "Girls Trip" (2017), "Where's the Money" (2017), "Death Wish" (2018), "Troop Zero" (2019), "Dolemite Is My Name" (2019), "The Cat and the Moon" (2019), and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" (2019).

In addition to acting, Epps has continued to be active in the world of comedy. In 2010, he released a stand-up comedy special, "Under Rated & Never Faded." That year, he also hosted the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards. He released the comedy special "Mike Epps: Don't Take It Personal" in 2015 and the special "Mike Epps: Only One Mike" in 2019.

(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Recording and Music Career

Mike Epps released his album, "Funny Bidness: Da Album," in October 2009. It features appearances from Young Dro, Slim Thug, Too Short, DJ Quik, Flo Rida, Snoop Dogg, and Young Jeezy. It debuted at No. 98 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 9 on the Top Comedy Albums chart. He has been featured on a number of other songs and projects, including on rapper French Montana's "Mac Wit Da Cheese"(2009) mixtape, Dom Kennedy's song "Intro/Hard Work," and his stand-up comedy in "Under Rate & Never Faded" has been sampled by Bad Meets Evils and J. Cole.

Other Projects

Epps was the "Super Bowl ambassador" to his native Indianapolis for the 2012 Super Bowl. As a result, he was featured in commercials promoting the Super Bowl Village and was also seen making special appearances in the Village during the week of the Super Bowl.

Incidents

Epps allegedly assaulted fellow stand-up comedian LaVar Walker outside the Uptown Comedy Club in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 1, 2014. Reportedly, Epps and two of his bodyguards confronted Walker in response to a parody video Walker had made about Epps and the comedian Kevin Hart. Epps purportedly struck Walker in the face and kicked him in the stomach and back, while one of the other two men at the scene is accused of throwing Walker's cell phone and crushing his prescription glasses. The police in Atlanta issued an arrest warrant for Epps two days later, on June 3, 2014. Additionally, in 2017, Epps was arrested in New Orleans after allegedly striking a man multiple times during an altercation in a casino. Also, in 2017, he made a post on Instagram that discussed his past, including how he previously served two years in jail in 1989 on a drug charge in Chicago.

Personal Life

Mike Epps is the father of seven children, six daughters and one son, and has frequently spoken about how central fatherhood is to his life. He became a father for the first time in 1993 with the birth of his daughter Bria, followed by his second daughter Makayla in 1999. During his marriage to Mechelle McCain, Epps welcomed two more daughters, Moriah in 2005 and Madison in 2007. He also has a fifth daughter, River, who was born in 2007.

Epps and McCain divorced in 2017. Two years later, he married television producer Kyra Robinson Epps. Together, they welcomed their daughter, Indiana, in 2020 and their son, Michael Epps Jr., in 2021. Epps has described the arrival of his son as especially meaningful, noting that Mike Jr. was born on the same day his mother passed away, a coincidence he has spoken about emotionally in interviews.

Coming from a large family himself, Epps has said his grandmother had 11 children and his mother raised nine, a background he often references when joking about his own household being dominated by daughters. In addition to being a father, Epps is also a grandfather through his eldest daughter, Bria.

Outside of family life, Epps is known for sharing milestones and proud moments involving his children on social media, from graduations and proms to backstage visits at his comedy shows. He has frequently credited his children with grounding him and shaping the more reflective tone that has emerged in his later stand-up and television work.

Real Estate & Divorce Settlement

Mike Epps' divorce from his first wife, Mechelle McCain Epps, was finalized in 2017 after 12 years of marriage and resulted in a sizable financial settlement. Under the terms of the agreement, Epps agreed to pay McCain $25,000 per month in spousal support for six and a half years, with payments set to end earlier if she remarried. In addition, he committed to paying $15,000 per month in child support for their two daughters and covering the cost of their private school education.

The settlement also included a division of real estate and personal assets. The couple's longtime marital home in Encino, California, was sold in late 2017 for $3.5 million. They bought the house in 2006 for $3.4 million. Proceeds from the sale were split evenly. McCain also retained use of several luxury vehicles as part of the agreement and received a portion of Epps' future movie royalties.

Epps, meanwhile, kept ownership of multiple properties in Indiana, along with several vehicles and motorcycles, and retained the bulk of his future earnings aside from the monthly support obligations. While the divorce was widely covered in entertainment media due to the size of the payments involved, both parties ultimately reached terms without prolonged court battles, allowing Epps to move forward personally and professionally in the years that followed.

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