What is Toni Braxton's Net Worth?
Toni Braxton is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist who has a net worth of $10 million. She is one of the best-selling female R&B artists in history, having sold over 67 million records worldwide.
Early Stardom
Toni Braxton's journey to stardom began in the late 1980s when she and her sisters formed The Braxtons. In the early 1990s, she caught the attention of producers Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and soon signed with LaFace Records. Her self-titled debut album, released in 1993, was a massive success with hit singles like "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again." This album not only showcased her vocal prowess but also established her as a significant force in the music industry.
Continued Success
Over the years, Braxton continued to release critically and commercially successful albums, including "Secrets" (1996), featuring iconic tracks like "Un-Break My Heart" and "You're Makin' Me High." "Un-Break My Heart" became one of the best-selling singles of all time, cementing her status as a global superstar. Her ability to blend soulful R&B with mainstream pop allowed her to reach a broad audience.
Braxton's career has been marked by challenges, including financial difficulties and health issues, such as a public battle with lupus. Despite these obstacles, she continued to create music, tour, and expand her career into acting and reality television, appearing in shows like "Braxton Family Values" and "Dancing with the Stars." Throughout her career, Braxton has received numerous accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards, solidifying her legacy.
Toni Braxton Bankruptcy and Money Issues
Despite her commercial success, Toni has faced significant financial challenges. She first filed for bankruptcy in 1998, when she was $5 million in debt. Her financial situation showed some improvement after releasing her hit album The Heat in 2000, which sold over two million copies. Unfortunately, Toni filed for bankruptcy again in October 2010, reportedly being as much as $50 million in debt.
She owed money to various creditors, including the IRS, Tiffany & Co, AT&T, and Neiman Marcus. Reportedly spending $2.5 million on makeup, clothing, and hair in under two years, Toni lost the rights to 27 of her most famous songs in July 2013 due to her ongoing bankruptcy case. This meant she was no longer eligible to receive the lion's share of royalties from the sales of her own music.
Toni also doesn't receive significant royalties from her biggest hit, "Un-Break My Heart," as it was written by Diane Warren. Fortunately, she remains a popular live act, especially overseas, earning between $750,000 and $1 million per year from live shows and personal appearances, including her reality show, Braxton Family Values. Eventually, a bankruptcy court wiped away a significant portion of her debt, giving her another chance to maintain her finances.
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Early Life
Toni Michelle Braxton was born on October 7, 1967, in Severn, Maryland. She comes from a religious and musical family. Her parents, Michael and Evelyn, were involved with their local Methodist church as a clergyman and pastor. Braxton's father also worked at the power company, while her mother, a former opera singer, worked in a beauty salon. Toni's maternal grandfather was also a pastor, and she is the oldest of six siblings, including her brother Michael (born 1968) and sisters Traci (born 1971), Towanda (born 1973), Trina (born 1974), and Tamar (born 1977). Braxton's singing career began in her church choir. She initially enrolled at Bowie State University in Maryland to become a teacher but was discovered by composer and producer William Pettaway Jr., who convinced her to pursue a singing career.
Career
Early Career
In the late 1980s, Braxton and her sisters, as The Braxtons, signed with Arista Records in 1989 and released their first single "Good Life" in 1990. Although the song didn't find traction on the radio, it attracted the attention of producers Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. They asked Toni to record a demo of "Love Shoulda Brought You Home," a song written for Anita Baker for the Eddie Murphy movie "Boomerang." Baker suggested Braxton sing it instead, and her version was included on the soundtrack along with a duet with Edmonds. This led to her signing with LaFace Records, where she began work on her debut solo album.
Major Success
Toni's self-titled debut album released in July 1993 peaked at number one on the albums chart. "Another Sad Love Song" was the first single to top the Adult R&B charts. Her debut album spawned five singles and won three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Her second album "Secrets," released in 1996, is her most successful album to date. The first single "You're Makin' Me High" was her first number-one hit on the Hot 100 charts. "Un-Break My Heart" became the biggest hit of her career, spending 11 weeks at the top of the Hot Dance Singles chart.
Later Career
Between health issues and contract disputes, Braxton released "More Than a Woman" (2002), "Libra" (2005), and "Pulse" (2010). She and Babyface released "Love, Marriage, & Divorce" in 2014, winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2015. Her ninth album, "Sex & Cigarettes," was released in 2018. Starting in 1998, she made her Broadway debut as Belle in "Beauty and the Beast." Alan Menken wrote a new song specifically for her, "A Change in Me." Braxton left the production in 1999.
Braxton ventured into reality TV with "Braxton Family Values," airing on WeTV since 2011, and "Tamar and Vince," starring her youngest sister Tamar. In 2006, she headlined "Toni Braxton: Revealed" at the Flamingo Las Vegas, performing six nights a week. The show extended its run but was later canceled when Braxton was diagnosed with a heart condition.
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Personal Life
Toni Braxton met musician Keri Lewis when his group Mint Condition opened for her on tour. They married on April 21, 2001, and their first son, Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis, was born the same year. In 2002, she was confined to bed rest while pregnant with her second child, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, born in March 2003. Diezel is autistic, and Toni is actively involved with Autism Speaks. Braxton and Lewis divorced in July 2013.
Braxton started dating rapper Birdman in May 2016, announcing their engagement in February 2018. In January 2019, they called off the engagement but confirmed they were still together in April 2019.
Health Issues
In 2007, rumors circulated that Braxton had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which she denied. In 2008, she had a benign lump removed from her breast. On April 8, 2008, Braxton was briefly hospitalized, leading to the cancellation of her remaining Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas residency dates. Later, while appearing on "Dancing with the Stars," she revealed she had been diagnosed with microvascular angina (small vessel disease). On November 18, 2010, Braxton disclosed to CBS News that she had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease.
Real Estate
In the fall of 2014, Braxton bought a 5,323-square-foot home in The Oaks neighborhood of Calabasas, California, for $2.9 million. Built in 2006, the four en-suite bedroom home was considered an "affordable" home for someone looking to move into this coveted neighborhood. She sold it in 2016 for $3.4 million.
