People Are Genuinely Shocked By How Little "Top Model" Contestants Make In Residuals After An Iconic Contestant Posted Her Own Check

    I guess she can clean up at the Dollar Store.

    Matt Stopera
    by Matt Stopera

    BuzzFeed Staff

    One of the biggest issues of the ongoing strike by the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is unfair streaming residuals.

    Demonstrators on the picket line
    Jose Perez / GC Images / Getty Images

    Earlier this summer, Kimiko Glenn revealed how much money she makes in residual payments for her role as Brook Soso on Orange Is the New Black. She was on 44 episodes between 2013 and 2019.

    Close-up of Kimiko Glenn as Brook Soso in "Orange Is the New Black"
    Netflix

    In a viral TikTok, she showed her residual check for a whopping $27.30.

    A receipt for $27.30
    @itskimiko / Via tiktok.com

    As this person said, that's barely enough for a Netflix subscription.

    "Bro that's barely enough to pay for a Netflix subscription"
    @itskimiko / Via tiktok.com

    This is noteworthy because most reality show contestants don't receive any residual money at all, even though their shows are widely screened on streamers.

    America's Next Top Model contestants
    George Pimentel / WireImage / Getty Images

    It should also be noted that reality stars are generally not part of SAG. There isn't a union for reality stars, and they aren't on strike.

    That said, we learned about one reality show that gave contestants residual payments, and that show was America's Next Top Model during the "All-Stars" season.

    America's Next Top Model contestants
    CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

    Isis King is one of the most iconic contestants on Top Model.

    Isis on the red carpet in a mini suit-jacket herringbone dress
    David Livingston / Getty Images

    She first appeared on Season 11 in 2008 as the franchise's first transgender woman contestant.

    Close-up of Isis
    Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

    Then she appeared on Season 17, which was the All-Stars season.

    Contestants standing together and smiling
    CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images

    Isis shared a residual check that she recently received from the show, and yeah, it's not much!

    Twitter: @MsIsisKing

    A whopping $5.12.

    Screenshot of line: "Total gross: $5.12"
    Twitter: @MsIsisKing

    Isis pointed out that to her knowledge, the All-Stars season was the only season of Top Model where the girls received residuals.

    Twitter: @MsIsisKing

    People were obviously surprised by how little the contestants got paid.

    @MsIsisKing / Via Twitter: @Taylorr_L

    From "You can't even get a gallon of gas"...

    @MsIsisKing / Via Twitter: @bones_glass

    ...to "you can't even get a subway footlong."

    @MsIsisKing / Via Twitter: @Tiniest_daemon

    I think "y'all were on that show going bald and fighting wars with ZERO income" sums it up best.

    Twitter: @echolaliass