David Otunga Net Worth, Biography, Career, Family, Relationship
Wiki Biography of David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga Sr. was born on April 7, 1980, in Elgin, Illinois, to a Kenyan father and a white American mother. He is a professional wrestler, actor, and lawyer who is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment.
Among his many accomplishments are being a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion and finishing second in the first season of NXT, a WWE-produced television show. He was also a member of the wrestling groups The Nexus and The New Nexus.
Have you ever thought about how wealthy David Otunga is? As of this writing, his overall net worth is estimated to be $10 million, with the majority of his wealth coming from his career as a professional wrestler. Taking into account his other professional interests, such as acting and advocacy, his net worth is increasing.
Growing Up
On April 7, 1980, David Daniel Otunga was born in Elgin, Illinois. David attended Larkin High School as a young student, being raised by a Kenyan national and a European-American mother, along with two older siblings. He attended the University of Illinois after graduation and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Following his success, Otunga moved to New York City and began working as a laboratory manager at Columbia University’s Cognitive Neuroscience Center. David pursued his post-secondary education at Harvard Law School. He then graduated, passed the Illinois bar exam, and joined the major American law firm Sidley Austin. From 2005 to 2007, he was employed by this firm.
Professional Career
Finally, John Cena was accepted into the Nexus. Despite losing another WWE Tag Team Championship, Otunga was finally able to compete alongside Cena. By 2015, Otunga’s legal history had become an important part of his story. He was shown assisting a number of wrestlers in their legal efforts against Triple H. He was also defeated by Randy Orton at one point in his ring career. He eventually defeated Ezekiel Jackson after a string of defeats.
David Otunga has no choice but to leave the WWE at this time. Because Jennifer Hudson, his then-fiancée, was dealing with the terrible murder of numerous family members by William Balfour, he called off their engagement. During this time, David and Hudson were in Chicago for the Balfour murder trial.
After a few more matches, Otunga decided to join Tom Phillips in the commentary booth for events such as “Superstars” and “Main Event.” While Lawler was temporarily suspended by WWE, David took his place in the commentary box. As a result, he was hired full-time on the WWE commentary team. Following that, he shifted his focus to being a panelist and only provided commentary on rare occasions.
Relationships
David Otunga proposed to actress and singer Jennifer Hudson on her birthday in 2008, seven months after they began dating. They had their first child a year later. After eight years, the couple divorced without ever marrying.
Problems with Divorce
As a result of his divorce from Jennifer Hudson, David Otunga was involved in a number of issues. Hudson later claimed that he had left a firearm on the kitchen counter during the relationship in order to scare and intimidate her. This was reportedly one of the reasons she sought a protective order against Otunga, as she became concerned for her own and her son’s safety. David was also accused of attempting to manipulate and alienate their son, according to her. Finally, Jennifer claimed that he cheated on her throughout the relationship. Jennifer had been unfaithful, according to Otunga.
David Otunga’s Career
David Otunga’s entertainment career began in 2007 when he competed in “I Love New York 2.” He made it to the final three before being knocked out. Despite later shifting his focus to professional wrestling, Otunga continued to pursue acting roles. This included a starring role in “The Call” in 2013, as well as a guest appearance (as himself) on “General Hospital.”
He’s 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. He was cast in “The Haves and Have Nots” in 2013. He appeared in shows such as “Celebrity Ghost Stories,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Family Time” over the next few years. He also appeared in the 2019 film “A Madea Family Funeral.”
Otunga’s professional wrestling career began in 2008, when he was signed by the WWE. He began his career in Florida Championship Wrestling, a WWE development territory. Otunga made his ring debut in 2009 under the ring name Dawson Alexander. His debut was a six-man tag team match, which he won with Barry Allen.
Otunga was announced as a wrestler for the first season of “NXT” in 2010. He began by defeating Darren Young, but Young quickly defeated him in a rematch. He then got into a fight with his mentor, R-Truth, during a backstage brawl. He later joined forces with John Cena to compete for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, but he refused to tag in.
The following week, Otunga and a group of other “NXT” rookies disrupted a match between John Cena and CM Punk, eventually destroying the entire ring area. These same rookies later went after Bret Hart for not giving them contracts. Then, Vince McMahon fired Hart and hired the rookies. These people were later dubbed “The Nexus.”
John Cena was then welcomed into the Nexus. Otunga eventually fought alongside Cena, but they lost another WWE Tag Team Championship. From 2011 to 2015, Otunga’s legal background played an important role in his story. He was depicted as assisting various wrestlers in filing lawsuits against Triple H. He was also a sporadic presence in the ring, losing to Randy Orton at one point. Further defeats followed until he defeated Ezekiel Jackson.
Otunga was forced to leave WWE for an indefinite period of time at this point. This was because his then-fiancee, Jennifer Hudson, was dealing with the shocking death of several family members, all of whom were murdered by William Balfour. During this time, David and Hudson were in Chicago for Balfour’s murder trial.
Otunga pursued a commentary role alongside Tom Phillips for shows like “Superstars” and “Main Event” after a few more wrestling appearances. When WWE temporarily suspended Lawler, David took his place in the commentary booth. He then became a full-time member of the WWE commentary team. He then shifted his focus to being a panelist, while still providing occasional commentary.