'09
It was kind of a mystery how American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino was able to keep one of her massive homes in Charlotte, North Carolina, after she failed to pay the mortgage. The $1.3 million home was about to be put up for auction in early January, but somehow Fantasia struck a deal and was able to keep it. This was after she almost lost another home in Charlotte after failing to pay fees to the neighborhood association and after she was sued by a car dealership for failing to make payments on her $240,000 Mercedes.
Now we know how Fantasia was able to keep her home after all her money problems. American Idol judge Simon Cowell stepped in and secretly made payments on the house. He is said to have not wanted to let anyone know or to draw attention to himself, but the National Enquirer found out about it and is running this story in their latest issue:
Court papers show that her 6,500 square-foot house, which Fantasia bought in 2007 for $1.3 million, was to be sold off Jan. 12 to satisfy an unpaid load.
But then at the eleventh hour [Cowell] galloped to the rescue – enabling Fantasia to reach an agreement with her mortgage holders and stop her home from being auctioned.
“Simon didn’t want to take any credit for it, he just wanted to help her out of a jam,” disclosed the insider. “He was hoping to keep his good deed a secret. He didn’t want to cause Fantasia any further public embarrassment.”
The singer’s problems were caused by overspending, divulged a close source.
“Fantasia was particularly naive. People around her told her she was a star, so she spent like a star. Fantasia has learned her lesson the hard way.”
[From The National Enquirer, print edition, February 16, 2009]
It sounds like Fantasia wouldn’t have been out of a place to live if she lost that home as she supposedly has another house in the area, which she may have purchased for family. That was kind of Simon to pay the mortgage for her anyway. He’s worth at least $200 million, according to Wikipedia, but he didn’t have to help her and it sounds like he did it out of the kindness of his heart. Simon is a pain in the ass but he seems to have a soft spot. Usually it involves attractive women who sing well.
Fantasia recently told E! News that she was hoping to get a reality show and that she would return to school to complete her GED, as we reported last week.
Update: Thanks to commenter Kimble who noted that Fantasia said on the red carpet at the Grammys that she didn’t have Simon Cowell’s number and that he didn’t help her with her mortgage payments.
Simon Cowell and Fantasia Barrino are shown on 3/10/04 at an American Idol party. Credit: Splash News
Written by Celebitchy
Posted in Fantasia Barrino, Good Celebrity, Simon Cowell
- Friends reunion on Ellen [Popsugar]
- Lindsey Vonn watches Tigers kids [Lainey Gossip]
- George Michael fell out of a car going 70mph [D-Listed]
- Real Housewives of Orange County recap [Reality Tea]
- New Man of Steel trailer [Pajiba]
- Jared Padalecki’s hot bod [Buzzfeed]
- Doctors confirm Taylor Swift’s new boobs [Evil Beet]
- Catherine Zeta-Jones finished treatment [CDAN]
- Anna Paquin hates the paps [Celebslam]
- Lance Armstrong is gross [The Blemish]
- What is Barbara Palvin wearing? [Moe Jackson]
- This is Petra Nemcova? [SVC]
It pays (literally) to have friends in high places!
Maybe he can set her up with a good financial advisor too
Report this comment as spam or abuse
She debunked this story in her interview with Seacrest on the Red Carpet of the Grammys!
She said she didn’t even have Simon’s No.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Score another lie by the Inquirer. They need to stick to the three-headed Elvis alien space baby stories. That’s their strongest suite.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Now that she’s learned her lesson I hope she got rid of that rediculous Mercedes!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Sounds like she needs a financial advisor.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Thanks Kimble I will update the story, sorry about that!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
She needs to live within her means!! $1.3 million house, $240K CAR?!?! She SHOULD have lost all of it. My God, get real.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
How many homes does one woman need? How big do they have to be? How can you grow to be an adult without learning that you have to pay for the things you buy? And if people bail you out, how do you learn from your mistakes?
Report this comment as spam or abuse
What hit song has she ever come out with? I’m at a loss to see how she got this far. Oh well, lesson learned hopefully.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
1) case of giving a too young person too much money and expecting them to have some sort of common sense about handling it.
2) simons not a pain in the ass as it was put. he simply understands the level of performance required to win and be awarded sums of money like that. we as a society have become numb to true excellence, and we accept mediocrity as excellence. case in point, Jessica Simpson, Jonas Bros., Macy Gray….
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Don, please to not include Macy Gray with Jonas brothers and Jessica Simpson.But I otherwise see your point.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I hear this a while back, that Simon worked something out with her, so I believe this story is true. I also heard that he had a “Come to Jesus” talk with her, and basically told her that she needed to get it together and stop putting out crap music, and get another GOOD record out there (like her first one) and be a little more ambitious. I guess she took that message to heart!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
He’s been known to do stuff like this before. I can’t quite remember the details but didn’t he help a family last year and do other charitable things very very discreetly?
I wouldn’t exactly call Fantasia “attractive.”
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Being attractive has nothing whatsoever,to do with someone having money problems!Everyone has money problems from time to time.Leave Fantasia alone,I love her regardless of what anyone thinks.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Talk about feeling and soul. Fantasia is the bomb!! I love her doing “Fool in Love”. The way she moves….now that little bird Fantasia knows how to rock and “tweet”. The power behind her voice is rocking. She brings the house down
100%…a plus her appearance is neat and very attractive. You got it girl.
You need a string of managers to rock you right on out for everyone to enjoy.
Bring the house down!!!!!! Yes!!
Report this comment as spam or abuse