LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Jennifer Tilly's ex-husband Sam Simon died after battling colon cancer at the age of 59 on March 8, 2015. 'The Simpson' co-creator Simon bequeathed his $100 million estate to various charities.
He was known not only for his accomplished works as a director, writer and producer, but also as an animal rights activist and philanthropist. Simon started buying up zoos and circuses to free animals after being diagnosed with cancer.
Simon received the WGA's Valentine Davies Award for his humanitarian work.
He made headlines in the time leading up to his death, pledging to give his fortune, worth several hundred million dollars, to charities including his own Malibu-based Sam Simon Foundation.
How did Sam Simon and Jennifer Tilly meet?
Sam Simon and Jennifer Tilly met on the set of her first consecutive television ABC sitcom, 'Shaping Up'. Simon was the co-creator of the ABC show.
Jennifer revealed in a biographical series 'Pokerography' that right after she began her budding career in Hollywood, "he was the first in my life that celebrated what I brought to the table," as per PokerGO.
Simon and Jennifer soon sparked a connection and exchanged vows in 1984. However, they didn't continue their marriage for very long and got divorced in December 1993.
Though the couple would finalize their divorce in 1993, the pair remained close friends until his death in 2015. Jennifer and Simon attended countless events together and Jennifer also acted as a caretaker during Smion's final moments.
Do Sam Simon and Jennifer Tilly have kids?
Unfortunately, Sam Simon and Jennifer Tilly didn't have any kids together as the 'RHOBH' star decided not to have children because she felt that having children would have killed her Hollywood career.
Jennifer previously said that Hollywood provided numerous examples of why kids were career killers. She shared in a podcast, "I remember Robin Wright got the lead in Robin Hood, and then she got pregnant and she had to drop out."
Jennifer added, "And Annette Benning lost the part of Catwoman that Michelle Pfeiffer ended up doing because she got pregnant and it derailed her career, briefly. So, I was like, 'I must never get pregnant because when I'm about three months, Scorsese is going to come calling, and I will have to say no.'"
However, Jennifer's view changed with the years and she now questions her decision not to have children when she had a chance.
Sam Simon's girlfriend Kate Porter sued his estate for $5M
'The Simpsons' co-creator Sam Simon's financial legacy was mired in controversy even after his death. Simon's girlfriend Kate Porter sued his estate for $5 million.
She claimed Simon had promised her the money "so that she would not have to struggle financially or worry about her future."
The lawsuit claimed that Porter cherished the privilege of being by Simon's side during his battle with cancer so much that she cut back her work to devote more of her time to him and was eventually "discharged" from her job.
Despite his "repeated promises," Simon's estate plan made no mention of Porter.
Meanwhile, in a separate lawsuit, Simon's ex-wife Jennifer Tilly claimed that her 1993 divorce judgment guaranteed her an ongoing community property interest in 'The Simpsons' and Simon's other projects.
Tilly is now set to join the main cast of 'RHOBH' in Season 13 as a "friend of" the housewives.
'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Season 13 premieres on Wednesday, October 25 at 8 pm ET on Bravo.
