Adrienne Bailon is one of the lowest-paid hosts on The Real talk show, which infamously led to an alleged feud between the former Disney star and her co-host Tamera Mowry-Housley in December 2018 as the latter was said to be pulling in three times the amount.
Fans were shocked by the news that Bailon was earning much less than the other ladies on the panel - Lonie Love and Jeannie Mai - even though she’s just as known as Housley if the numbers were to be based on popularity and past success.
While it’s unclear whether Bailon, who is embroiled in an ongoing feud with Kiely Williams, ended up getting a salary increase, considering that she’s continued to be part of the long-running talk-show, it’s fair to assume that the TV personality was finally able to renegotiate a contract more to her liking.
How Much Does Adrienne Bailon Make On The Real?
The Real has been on TV since 2012, so it’s quite surprising that Adrienne Bailon was only earning an estimated $200,000 to $950,000 per season, according to Showbiz Cheatsheet.
Before the Cheetah Girls star would find herself at war with Housley over their pay difference, it was already rumored that Bailon was earning the least amount on the panel, despite her success with Disney and a successful music career with former girl group 3LW.
Housley in comparison was earning $2.5 million per season, so there was quite a contrast between salaries and Bailon was determined to get a much-deserved increase.
A source told Daily Mail in December 2018 that the No More hitmaker, along with fellow co-host Jeannie Mai, became irritated by the pay discrepancy between them and Housley, and while they had hoped that the latter would help fight for equal pay between them, the Sister Sister star reportedly chose to remain silent.
“Once they won the Emmy, Jeannie, and Adrienne started complaining about how they knew they weren't being compensated the same as their fellow co-hosts Loni and Tamera,” a source told the publication. “They were even talking about staging a walk out.
Initially, they wanted both Tamera and Loni to support them in their quest to get better deals on the show, but when both ladies declined that definitely meant that lines were drawn.”
When Housley took two weeks off from the show in November 2018 following the tragic loss of her 18-year-old niece, who had been gunned down in Thousand Oaks, California, ratings for The Real spiked by 13 percent throughout the time the actress was gone.
This gave Bailon all the more reason to voice her frustration in not receiving a fair amount with her salary when those who are getting paid the big bucks were not even contributing to the rise in viewership.
“Of the four hosts, Tamera has the highest salary. And while she was gone from the show, the ratings jumped,” the source continued telling Daily Mail.
“Both girls [Adrienne and Jeannie] kept saying, ‘How's she making the most money and the show is doing better without her being here?’ That gave them the leverage they needed to justify their ask for more money.”
Of course, The Real isn’t the only source of income for Bailon, who once dated Kim Kardashian’s brother Rob Kardashian.
The 36-year-old also runs a popular YouTube channel, titled All Things Adrienne, which boasts 1 million followers, where she posts video from everything concerning lifestyle tips and tricks, food and cooking recipes, online shopping hauls, and so much more.
Meanwhile, in July 2020, it was announced that Housley was leaving the talk show after seven years, telling fans in an official statement that she’s ready to begin the next chapter in her life.
"The friendships that I've made there will last a lifetime, and the people that I've had the blessing to interview have changed my life for the better," she said.
"However, all good things must come to an end, and it's with a bittersweet smile that I announce that I am moving on from 'The Real.' To my fellow hosts, I love you, I will miss you, and I will always be there for you. Thank you for teaching me, supporting me, and loving all of me. Sisters forever.”
It’ll be interesting to see who producers of The Real will choose to replace Housley - but more importantly, will Bailon and Mai get another salary increase now that their highest-paid co-star has left the show?
Surely this would be the best time for them to fight tooth and nail to meet their demands given that ratings for The Real were said to have been higher when Housley wasn’t even on the show, which speaks volumes.