David Otonga Net Worth
What is David Otunga’s Net Worth and Salary?
David Otunga is a former American professional wrestler, lawyer and actor who has a net worth of $10 million. After a long and illustrious career as a professional wrestler, Otunga began working as a color commentator and panelist for WWE. While in WWE, he was known for his work with organizations such as The Nexus and The New Nexus. During his wrestling career, David also won two WWE Tag Team titles. David is also known for dating singer Jennifer Hudson for about a decade between 2008 and 2017.
early life
David Daniel Otunga was born on April 7, 1980 in Elgin, Illinois. Raised by a Kenyan national and a European-American mother with two older siblings, David attended Larkin High School as a young man. After graduation, he attended the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Following this achievement, Otunga moved to New York City and began working as a laboratory manager at Columbia University’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Continuing his post-secondary education, David attended Harvard Law School. After graduation, he passed the Illinois bar exam and joined Sidley Austin, a major U.S. law firm. He worked for the company from 2005 to 2007.
Profession
David Otunga’s entertainment career began as a contestant in I Love New York 2 in 2007. He eventually made it to the top three before being eliminated. Although he later shifted his focus more to professional wrestling, Otunga would continue to pursue various acting opportunities. This includes a starring role in the 2013 film “The Phone” and a cameo (playing himself) in “General Hospital”.
He has also appeared on talk shows such as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” and “The Steve Harvey Show” over the years. In 2013, he was booked for a role in “The Rich and the Poor.” Over the next few years, he appeared on shows like “Celebrity Ghost Stories,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Family Time.” In terms of film appearances, he also starred in 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral”.
Otunga’s wrestling career began in 2008 when he officially signed with WWE. He started with Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental area. Otunga originally adopted Dawson Alexander’s ring name and debuted in 2009. His first game was the doubles six, where he played alongside Barry Allen.
In 2010, it was announced that Otunga would be wrestling in the first season of “NXT”. He beat Darren Young first, though Young beat him in a rematch not long after. He then got into a brawl with his mentor R-Truth in a backstage scuffle. He later teamed up with John Cena for the unified WWE Tag Team Championship, although he refused to join. The next week, Otonga and a bunch of other rookies from “NXT” interfered with the game between John Cena and CM Punk, eventually disbanding the entire ring. The rookies later attacked Brett Hart for refusing to give them contracts. Then, Vince McMahon fired Hart and offered a rookie contract. These people later became known as The Nexus.
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Nexus then welcomed John Cena to their ranks. Otunga eventually found himself fighting alongside Cena, even though they lost another WWE Tag Team Championship. From 2011 to 2015, Otunga’s legal background became a central part of his storyline. He was introduced to help various wrestlers file a lawsuit against Triple H. He also maintained a sporadic presence in the ring, at one point being beaten by Randy Orton. Further losses ensued until he managed to defeat Ezekiel Jackson.
At this point, Otunga was forced to leave WWE for a while. This was due to his then-fiancé Jennifer Hudson dealing with the shocking deaths of several family members murdered by William Balfour. During this time, David and Hudson participated in the Chicago Belfort murder trial.
After a few wrestling matches, Otunga joined Tom Phillips as a commentator for shows like “Superstars” and “Main Event.” When Lawler was temporarily suspended by WWE, David replaced him on the podium. He then joined the WWE commentary team full time. He then leaned more towards being a panelist while continuing to take on occasional commentary roles.
relation
Otunga proposed to actress and singer Jennifer Hudson on her birthday in 2008, seven months after the two began dating. In 2009, they welcomed their first child. Eight years later, the couple separated without getting married.
divorce issue
David Otonga has been embroiled in several issues due to his separation from Jennifer Hudson. Hudson later claimed he left a gun on the kitchen counter in order to intimidate and intimidate her during the relationship. That was apparently part of the reason she filed a protective order against Otunga, as she became concerned for her own safety and that of her son. She also accused David of trying to manipulate and alienate their son. Finally, Jennifer also claimed that he cheated during the relationship. Otunga later retorted that Jennifer was unfaithful.
As the divorce progressed, reports emerged that Otunga had requested primary custody of his son. He also apparently demanded that Jennifer pay for his living expenses due to his alleged primary custody of their children. However, David and Jennifer were never actually married, so the terms for child support are somewhat limited. In 2019, the pair reached a custody agreement and signed a gag order preventing either party from providing details.
