Jennifer Esposito says she must move out of home mortgaged to fund directorial debut

WASHINGTON: Actor and filmmaker Jennifer Esposito has revealed that she is moving out of the home she mortgaged to finance her directorial debut, ‘Fresh Kills’, saying the situation has left her emotionally overwhelmed, according to Variety.

Esposito shared the news in a self-recorded video posted on Instagram, explaining that the financial strain of making the independent film has forced her to leave the house. “Yeah, I’m looking like ass right now because I’ve been crying because I’m moving out of my home that I mortgaged to make my film”, the actor said in a video.

Esposito went on to share, “And then to have people who are in the spotlight now not be able to just throw one back and say, ‘Hey, watch this film.’ I said to myself, ‘You know what? Nobody owes anybody anything.’ And then I thought, ‘Do we? Do we as human beings? Maybe that’s why we’re in this problem right now where we are. I think actually we do owe each other something. We owe each other decency as human beings”, as quoted by Variety.

Actress Jennifer Esposito loses home she mortgaged to finance movie: ‘I’ve been crying’ https://t.co/R3yrEfDLYm pic.twitter.com/BK61NTwtyd

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During the press tour for ‘Fresh Kills’ in 2024, Esposito said that she mortgaged her home because she believed deeply in the project and wanted to invest in herself after years of being told what she could or could not be in the industry.

“This town tells you what you can be and what you can’t be for so many years. I was just so over that and thought, ‘Why am I asking the world to believe in me, I have to believe in me,’ So I’m going to put my money down,” she said in an interview. “At the end of my life, am I going to be happy that my house was paid off? Or am I going to be so happy that I gave myself the opportunity that I’ve been waiting for for far too long? So I thought, I’m going”.

Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023, ‘Fresh Kills’ is set in the late 1980s and early 1990s and follows two sisters whose family life is upended when their mafia boss father goes to prison. The film stars Odessa A’zion, Emily Bader, Domenick Lombardozzi and Esposito herself.

Esposito previously told Variety that the script had been developing since she was 16 years old, describing the film as her passion project and calling it “my heart,” as quoted by Variety.

Following her Instagram post, fans and fellow actors expressed support in the comments. Actor Don Cheadle urged audiences to watch the film, while Debra Messing praised the project and criticised the sacrifices required to bring independent films to life. Jerry O’Connell also shared words of encouragement.

Esposito later thanked supporters and clarified that her home was sold to pay off the mortgage and was not seized by the bank. She also revealed that she is currently crowdfunding her next project, ‘Mary Rides the F Train’.

“Betting on yourself is never wrong”, said Esposito in the new video. “I just wish art could be taken for art’s sake and viewed on its merit. That’s why it’s so important to get behind independent films”, according to Variety. (ANI)