Is Melissa McCarthy Related to Jenny McCarthy? HGTV The Great Giveback Hosts

Is Melissa McCarthy Related to Jenny McCarthy? Melissa McCarthy, the American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer, is related to Jenny McCarthy. She made her first appearance on television in the 1990s and gained recognition through her role as Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls.

She began her career in stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and then moved to New York City. She currently hosts The Great Giveback along with Jenna Perusich. 

Melissa is related to not just the actress Jenny McCarthy but also the professional basketball player Joanne McCarthy.

Jenny and Melissa are first cousins. In 2015, Jenny McCarthy posted a childhood picture of three sisters, including Melissa, her cousin. 

Jenny and Melissa are both from Illinois and often met during family gatherings. As they grew up, they both chased their dreams and went to Hollywood, where Jenny supposedly had success a bit earlier.

Jenny McCarthy got her cousin a minor role on MTV’s sketch show “The Jenny McCarthy Show,” which was Melissa’s first acting experience.

Although the cousins do not make public appearances together, Jenny has defended her cousin from unjustified attacks from the press through her platform.

However, their relationship still does not seem as tight-knit as Melissa did not make the guest list at Jenny’s wedding with Donnie Wahlberg. 

Explore The McCarthy Family Tree

The McCarthys have not always been called McCarthy.

It was revealed that the grandfather of Melissa and Jenny, Michael Carty, somehow changed his last name during his immigration to the United States.

He entered the country through the railroad and registered as a US citizen as Michael Carty. There are amusing jokes about how his name could’ve been misheard when he introduced himself as Mike Carty, and people confused it as McCarthy.

The family’s origin roots back to Currygranny, in the Newtownforbes area of County Longford. 

Her father’s side of the family has entirely Irish ancestry, where half of her family spent at least three generations in Scotland and later immigrated to the US.

The Cousin’s Net Worth Comparison

According to the statistics of Celebrity Net worth, Melissa’s net worth is higher than her cousin Jenny, who gained success in the media industry long before she did.

Melissa’s net worth stands at $90 million, whereas Jenny has only an estimated $25 million.

She gained immense success through her work in Mike and Molly, bringing her routine earnings of $15 million during its airing. Even when the show was no longer airing, Melissa earned $12 million through the performance.  

In 2015, Melissa earned $33 million with her appearance in Ghostbusters. 

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