Apple Watts Net Worth Revealed: From Reality TV Fame to Recovery Story

Reality TV star Apple Watts has built a net worth between $1 million and $2 million. Many fans want to learn about this Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood star whose life changed dramatically over the last several years.

The California native was born on May 16, 1985, in Alta Loma. Her life took a tragic turn on March 24, 2022. The whole ordeal began when her Mercedes crashed into a Ford F-250 pickup truck on the road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Her vehicle rolled several times and caught fire. She suffered severe injuries that included a broken spine, fractured skull, and broken arm.

This piece covers Apple Watts' financial status, her personal story, and details about her near-fatal accident. We'll also look at her recovery and the legal dispute with her sister over GoFundMe donations. The court battle ended with a judge's decision that granted Watts $10,000 from the fundraiser.

Apple Watts Net Worth

Apple Watts' net worth ranges between $1 million and $2 million as of February 2023. She built this wealth through her entertainment career, though her life-changing accident has substantially affected her money situation.

Estimated net worth range

Reports from several reliable sources show Apple Watts built a fortune between $1 million and $2 million before her March 2022 accident. This money came from years of work in entertainment of all types. Her finances stayed mostly stable through early 2023, even with extensive medical treatments and rehabilitation needed after her devastating car crash.

Main sources of income

Apple earned most of her wealth from her entertainment career. Her role on "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" brought good money and made her much more famous before the accident. She also started several business ventures, though she keeps the details private.

Dancing and modeling added to her earnings before everything changed. Reality TV fame opened doors to endorsements and appearances that boosted her income over the years.

How her accident impacted her finances

The March 2022 car accident brought huge money challenges to Apple Watts. She needs a wheelchair to move around and still deals with injury effects as she nears 40. She speaks openly about her current financial struggles since she can't return to her previous work.

"I don't want nobody go through what I'm going through," she said about her situation. This honest statement shows the real cost of her recovery. Apple now looks to motivational speaking as a new way to earn money – she hopes to help others avoid similar situations while rebuilding her finances.

Who is Apple Watts?

Apple Watts, born as Jontelle Lafaye Watts, became a dynamic entertainment personality who engaged audiences nationwide. Her path from dancer to reality TV star showcases her determination through life's challenges, making her story strike a chord with fans.

Early life and education

Apple was born on May 16, 1985, in Alta Loma, California. She spent her childhood in South Central Los Angeles's foster care system. Unlike other celebrities who avoid talking about difficult pasts, she shared these experiences openly on television and built genuine connections with her viewers.

She completed her primary schooling at Edawanda School. Later, she earned a criminal justice degree from EL Caino College. Her academic path also led her to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Career beginnings as a dancer and model

Apple started her professional life as a stripper in Los Angeles at 21. Her exceptional dancing skills helped her support herself. She quickly caught attention and appeared in many high-profile music videos for artists like Chris Brown, Future, YG, and Snoop Dogg. She worked under the name "Ms. Apple Bottom" early in her career and built a strong social media following through her modeling work.

"It was hard for me to get into the game because I'm a woman and a dancer," Apple once explained. "A lot of black women are pushed to the back burner who are very talented… Black women are overlooked in the world period".

Rise to fame on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood

The year 2018 marked Apple's breakthrough when she joined VH1's reality show "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" season five. The series showed her efforts to move from stripping into music. Her genuine personality and honest sharing of life experiences, especially her tough upbringing, made viewers connect with her story.

The show highlighted her work with producers A1 and RoccStar, a brief partnership with Shun Love, and her emotional search for her potential father. Season six brought another milestone as veteran rapper Yo-Yo stepped in as Apple's mentor.

What Happened to Apple Watts in the 2022 Car Accident?

Apple Watts' life took a devastating turn on March 24, 2022. Her black Mercedes crashed into a Ford F250 pickup truck on Northbound I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The tragic accident left the "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star battling for survival with devastating injuries that still affect her today.

Details of the crash

The horrific collision happened as Watts drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Her Mercedes flipped several times and burst into flames after the impact. Investigators first ruled out drugs and alcohol as factors in the crash. Watts later admitted in an interview that she "fallen asleep" while driving "with a slight buzz" and hit a truck at roughly 90 miles per hour.

The crash threw Watts through her vehicle's window. A quick-thinking passenger from the pickup truck pulled her away from the burning car to safety. Emergency teams airlifted the 36-year-old reality star to University Medical Center in Las Vegas for urgent treatment.

Injuries sustained

The devastating crash left Watts with life-threatening injuries. Medical reports showed she had two broken vertebrae in her neck, a shattered arm, and severe brain trauma. Watts' sister told The Shade Room about her fractured skull and broken spine. These catastrophic injuries needed multiple surgeries and months of intensive medical care.

Initial hospitalization and surgeries

Doctors kept Watts in a medically induced coma for four months to save her life. She stayed unresponsive during this critical time and needed oxygen support, though she could breathe by herself.

Surgeons successfully operated on her neck on March 30, 2022. She needed plastic surgery to repair her shattered arm and additional operations on her spine. Her severe injuries meant she had to learn basic functions again – walking and eating became major challenges. A tracheostomy tube made it hard for her to speak during her early recovery.

Apple Watts' Recovery Journey and Public Updates

Apple Watts has rebuilt her life through intensive rehabilitation since waking up from a four-month coma. She attends physical therapy sessions three times a week at $195 each. Her insurance coverage remains inadequate.

Physical therapy and mobility progress

"I'm able to stand on my own now. I'm able to walk—I can do everything by myself", Watts shared proudly in 2023. Numbness persists on her right side, but she has advanced from being bedridden to walking with specialized equipment. She remained optimistic about walking independently by year-end, though her arm and hand still needed surgery.

Social media updates and emotional reflections

Watts documents her recovery openly on social media. She posted a video in June 2023 that showed her walking unassisted from a car to her wheelchair. "Today was busy", she noted beneath the post. She reflected on missing simple pleasures: "I go out probably like four times in one year… Just the purpose of getting outside, little stuff don't take for granted".

Support from fans and The Shade Room

"The Shade Room helped me a lot," Watts said gratefully. Her story's visibility led fans to donate nearly $30,000 to her official GoFundMe. This support proved vital as her weekly rehabilitation costs reached $5,000.

Feud with sister over GoFundMe funds

Watts' relationship with her sister Dominique soured over allegations of mishandled donations totaling $15,000. Her manager Hazel Brown stated, "She's collected over $30,000… and didn't even buy a bed for Apple". The accusations extended to personal care—"she didn't shower once while at her sister's home".

Legal resolution and public response

Legal representation helped Watts secure justice. The judge awarded her $10,000 from the disputed donations. She now plans two reality shows about her recovery and wants to become a motivational speaker who warns against drunk driving.

Conclusion

Apple Watts' trip from reality TV fame to recovery shows both triumph and tragedy. Her devastating 2022 accident hasn't stopped her from maintaining a net worth between $1 million and $2 million. She faces big challenges with ongoing rehabilitation costs. Her life is proof of resilience. She rose from tough beginnings in foster care to find success through dancing, modeling, and ended up starring in "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood."

The March 2022 collision changed her life forever. She suffered catastrophic injuries – a broken spine, fractured skull, and shattered arm. Watts stayed in a medically induced coma for four months. All the same, her determination pushed her toward remarkable progress. She can now stand on her own and handle many daily activities. Her physical therapy sessions continue at $195 each.

The recovery brought more than physical challenges. She had to fight her own sister in court over misused GoFundMe donations. She won a $10,000 judgment. This whole ordeal shows the complex problems celebrities face with money during tough times.

Watts now focuses on rebuilding her life and career. Dancing professionally isn't possible anymore, but she wants to become a motivational speaker. She plans to warn others about drunk driving dangers. She's also creating two reality shows about her recovery. These shows could bring in new income while she shares her powerful story.

Apple Watts' story teaches us about life's fragility and potential risks of our choices. She admits she drove "with a slight buzz" before her accident. This serves as a wake-up call about how fast life can change. Her ongoing fight for mobility, independence, and purpose shows incredible courage that appeals way beyond her reality TV fame.

FAQs

Q1. What is Apple Watts' current net worth?

Apple Watts' net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $2 million as of February 2023, despite the financial challenges posed by her 2022 car accident.

Q2. How did Apple Watts rise to fame?

Apple Watts gained fame through her appearance on the fifth season of VH1's reality show "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" in 2018, where she shared her journey transitioning from a dancer to a music industry aspirant.

Q3. What were the major injuries Apple Watts sustained in her 2022 car accident?

In the March 2022 accident, Apple Watts suffered a broken spine, fractured skull, shattered arm, and a traumatic brain injury, requiring multiple surgeries and months of intensive care.

Q4. How is Apple Watts progressing in her recovery?

As of 2023, Apple Watts can stand on her own and walk with specialized equipment. She undergoes physical therapy three times a week and has made significant progress, though she still faces challenges with mobility.

Q5. What are Apple Watts' future career plans following her accident?

Apple Watts is interested in becoming a motivational speaker, particularly to warn others about the dangers of drunk driving. She is also developing two reality shows documenting her recovery journey.