Cedric The Entertainer Ended A $25,000 Fund For His Family After They Complained It Wasn’t Enough Money

When you “make it” financially, it’s easy to involuntarily become the breadwinner for your family and friends. Cedric the Entertainer can relate. The comedian and actor stepped up to provide financial support to his loved ones by creating a $25,000 fund to help with emergencies like mortgage payments or assistance with bills. 

The star, born Cedric Kyles, recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to promote his new book, a novel called Flipping Boxcars, and mentioned the fund. He started off by explaining how he approaches family members borrowing money. 

“I definitely know how to say ‘no’…I say ‘nay,’ I’m past ‘no,’ ” said the 59-year-old.

“I used to have a whole fund for the family, every year, $25,000 for whatever it is. You can get it if you qualified…not getting it for nonsense, but if you needed school money,” he said, citing an example. The Barbershop actor added that his sister managed the fund and that family members were only allowed to take a portion as opposed to a single individual using the entire $25,000.

Good things don’t last forever though, as Cedric eventually put an end to the fund; reason being, family members started asking for more money. “Some people wanted bigger and bigger checks,” the comedian said. 

Cedric the Entertainer has had a successful career over the years. He began his rise to fame in 1993 when he landed his first major gig as host of BET’s Comicview, a stand-up comedy showcase. The comedian then tried his hand at acting shortly after, bagging his first-ever role as the Cowardly Lion in the 1995 Apollo Theater Revival of The Wiz. Over the years, the actor has gone on to be in many successful films such as Barbershop, Madagascar, and Ice Age. He has also played on hit sitcoms like The Steve Harvey Show, The Proud Family and current hits, The Neighborhood on CBS and A&E’s Kings of BBQ with Anthony Anderson. 

Cedric’s book, Flipping Boxcars, is a crime thriller with a personal connection to the entertainer. The lead character is based on his grandfather.