What is Marcia Clark's Net Worth?
Marcia Clark is an American prosecutor, author, and television personality who has a net worth of $5 million. She gained widespread recognition as the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Before this, she was involved in the prosecution of Robert John Bardo for the murder of 21-year-old actress Rebecca Schaeffer. According to Clark's website, Bardo's conviction led to improved legislation protecting victims from stalkers and harsher penalties for offenders. After Simpson's acquittal in 1995, she took a leave of absence and officially resigned in 1997. Later, she earned millions through book advances, royalties, speaking fees, and media appearances.
Early Life
Marcia Rachel Kleks, known as Marcia Clark, was born on August 31, 1953, in Alameda, California. Raised in a Jewish household, Marcia lived in multiple states due to her father's job as an FDA chemist. She attended Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1976 with a degree in political science. Marcia then earned her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law.
Law Career
After passing the California bar in 1979, Clark started her career in private practice and as a public defender, before becoming a prosecutor in 1981. She served as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and was the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Her prosecution team included Christopher Darden and William Hodgman. Despite facing sexist media scrutiny during the trial, which also focused on her appearance and personal life, she persevered until the jury's not-guilty verdict.
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Book Career
Marcia Clark has published nine books. Her first book, 1997's "Without a Doubt" (co-authored with Teresa Carpenter), earned her a $4.2 million advance, equivalent to $7 million today after adjusting for inflation. The memoir topped bestseller lists, including "The New York Times" and "Publishers Weekly." Clark has also contributed to "The Daily Beast" and served as a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight."
After her memoir, Clark transitioned to fiction, beginning with the Rachel Knight series, which includes novels like "Guilt By Association" (2011) and "The Competition" (2014). She also wrote the Samantha Brinkman series, including titles like "Blood Defense" (2016) and "Final Judgment" (2020).
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Television Career
Clark has worked as a special correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," covering high-profile trials and red carpet events. She appeared as a guest attorney on "Power of Attorney," analyzed the Casey Anthony trial on "Headline News," and served as a CNN commentator during the George Zimmerman trial. Clark wrote a pilot for the FX show "Borderland" and produced a TV movie of her book "Guilt by Association" starring Julia Stiles. NBC also ordered a put pilot for her Samantha Brinkman series.
Clark guest-starred on "Pretty Little Liars" and was parodied by Tina Fey on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." She appeared in "O.J.: Made in America" and was portrayed by Sarah Paulson in Ryan Murphy's "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story." Clark also hosted "Pink Collar Crimes" and "The First 48: Marcia Clark Investigates." She co-created and produced the 2019 ABC series "The Fix."
Personal Life
At 17, Marcia was raped while visiting Eilat, Israel, leading her to pursue a career as a prosecutor. She married professional backgammon player Gabriel Horowitz in 1976, and they divorced four years later. During the Simpson trial, Horowitz sold topless photos of her to a tabloid. She later married computer programmer Gordon Clark and had two sons, Travis and Kyle, divorcing in 1995. Throughout her career, Clark faced numerous personal challenges, including a custody battle with Gordon during the Simpson trial.
Although raised Jewish and a former member of the Church of Scientology, Clark has said she is no longer religious, describing herself as spiritual and drawn to Buddhism and Hinduism.
Real Estate
In 1996, shortly after the O.J. Simpson acquittal, Marcia bought a house in Calabasas, California, for $1.1 million. She sold the gated-community property for $3.1 million in April 2019.
