What is Kenya Barris' net worth? Inside his $100 million Netflix deal
Kenya Barris' net worth in 2025 is estimated at $75 million from his nearly three-decade-long screenwriting career, with successful projects such as Black-ish and Coming 2 America. He briefly worked with ABC Studios and Netflix before leaving to acquire an equity ownership stake in BET Studios.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Netflix paid Kenya Barris $100 million in 2018, but he walked away from the deal before its three-year expiration.
- Kenya is a principal partner in BET Studios alongside Rashida Jones and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.
- The Black-ish creator landed his first major writing job in the 1997 series The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show.
Kenya Barris' profile summary
Full name | Kenya Barris |
Date of birth | August 9, 1974 |
Age | 51 years old (as of November 2025) |
Place of birth | Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States |
Height | 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m/191 cm) |
Wife | Dr Rainbow Edwards Barris (1999-2022) |
Children | Six |
Parents | Tina and Patrick |
Education | Clark Atlanta University (Medicine switched to Mass Media Arts) |
Profession | Screenwriter, producer, director, actor |
Production company | Khalabo Ink Society Khalabo Music |
Social media |
How Kenya Barris built his 8-figure net worth
Barris is estimated to be worth $75 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, from his extensive work in television and film. Early in his career, he used to deliver scripts to actress Jackée Harry for the 1980s show 227. By the late 1990s, he was working as a writer on The Keenen Ivory Wayans.
In the early 2000s, Kenya wrote an episode for Like Family. He also ventured into reality television alongside his childhood friend Tyra Banks to co-create and produce America's Next Top Model (2003-2018).
The screenwriter achieved major recognition as a showrunner and creator after the release of the ABC sitcom Black-ish (2014-2022). Its success led to the spin-off series Grown-ish and Mixed-ish. Other major Kenya Barris movies and TV shows include Girls Trip, Barbershop: The Next Cut, #BlackAF, You People, The Game, and Coming 2 America.
Source: Original
Why Kenya Barris left his $100 million Netflix deal
Kenya signed a $100 million 3-year deal with Netflix in August 2018 with an option for an additional two years. The agreement required him to write and produce a new series exclusively for Netflix through his production company, Khalabo Ink Society.
His first project with the streaming giant was #BlackAF, which premiered in April 2020, but Netflix cancelled it after season 1. Barris also executive-produced the sketch comedy Astronomy Club and the animated music series Entergalactic starring Kid Cudi.
Barris chose to get out of the Netflix contract in January 2021 before it expired. In a June 2021 interview with THR, the producer cited that he felt Netflix had become CBS.
I just don't know that my voice is Netflix's voice. The stuff I want to do is a little bit more edgy, a little more highbrow, a little more heady, and I think Netflix wants down the middle.
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Kenya Barris' short-lived partnership with ABC Studios
Before joining Netflix, the award-winning screenwriter was working with ABC Studios. He signed a three-year deal in August 2015 and got a four-year extension in May 2017. Under the contract, he created Black-ish on ABC and its spin-off Grown-ish on Freeform.
He exited his overall deal with ABC in August 2018 with three years remaining on his four-year contract. Barris stepped down as Black-ish showrunner but remained an executive producer for all his Freeform and ABC shows, according to Variety.
Barris and ABC's partnership reportedly soured when an episode of Black-ish that Kenya had written and directed, titled "Please, Baby, Please", was pulled for its political theme. He told THR in September 2018:
I don't know that I would have been as useful to them as they'd need me to be after that.
Source: Getty Images
Barris' equity partnership with BET Studios
Kenya partnered with ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global) and BET to form BET Studios in September 2021. The studio was established to offer equity partnerships to Black writers, producers, and directors to amplify their storytelling.
BET Studios creates premium series and films for various buyers, including Paramount+, Showtime, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET, and BET+, as well as select third-party platforms. Other principal partners that work alongside Kenya include Rashida Jones and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.
Some of the projects he has worked on since launching the studio include BET+'s Diarra from Detroit, Netflix's You People, Hulu's White Men Can't Jump, and Netflix's The Vince Staples Show. He is also producing the upcoming Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds documentary with director Chris Moukarbel.
Source: Getty Images
Kenya Barris' music venture
The screenwriter is also becoming a music mogul. He launched the music label Khalabo Music in June 2021 as a joint venture with Interscope Records. It is an expansion of his film and TV production company, Khalabo Ink Society.
Kenya Barris' Coke commercial partnership
Barris partnered with Coca-Cola in early 2025 to direct a six-minute short film titled Westside's Finest as part of the company's Proud Sponsors campaign. The filmmaker created the project to celebrate Coca-Cola's 50 years of cultural presence.
Westside's Finest featured an ensemble cast consisting of Omari Hardwick, Lauren London, Nelson Franklin, and Lionel Boyce. Kenya made a cameo alongside his actual family.
Source: Getty Images
Kenya Barris' real estate portfolio
Kenya Barris owns several houses around California. In February 2023, he bought an 11,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion from music star Zedd for $18.35 million.
In May 2021, Kenya purchased a $7.25 million mansion in Toluca Lake. The 6,500-square-foot Spanish-style home has five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The home was reportedly rented by Justin and Hailey Bieber.
The Black-ish creator bought his Studio City home in May 2020 for $4.6 million. The 6,300-square-foot Cape Cod-style mansion sits on 0.38 acres of land. Barris has two other properties in Encino, including a 9,600-square-foot mansion that he purchased in 2019 for $7.55 million and a 4,500-square-foot mansion he bought in 2017 for $2.95 million.
Source: Getty Images
Conclusion
Kenya Barris' net worth growth cements his status as a creative powerhouse. He is undoubtedly one of the most successful Black screenwriters in Hollywood.
READ MORE: How did Colman Domingo's net worth grow?
Briefly.co.za highlighted facts about Colman Domingo's net worth. He started acting in the early 1990s and became a household name portraying Victor Strand in the AMC series Fear the Walking Dead.
Colman has two Oscar nominations for Best Actor for his roles as Bayard Rustin in Rustin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield in Sing Sing. The actor is also a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Dramatic Arts and a faculty member at the Yale School of Drama.
Source: Briefly News
