Christina Milian says she knows what it’s like to endure hard times.
During a recent appearance on the Richer Lives podcast, Milian reflected on her childhood, saying she grew up in “extreme poverty.” While her family lacked material possessions, they cultivated gratitude and stood on their values.
“We experienced extreme poverty to the point where we had nothing at all,” Milian said. “What we did have is family and our values and being so grateful for every little thing, because when you have nothing, you realize any little thing is something.”
Millian said early struggles helped her develop a hustle-first mentality way before she became successful in the entertainment industry.
“I was the kid who wanted to make money… I was all about a sale,” she explained. “All I wanted to do was save it, just to say that I had that much money.”
Millian also shaped how she would learn to budget her own money. After signing with Def Jam Records, she received a check for $125,000, which was the most money she had ever seen at the time.
“That $125,000 lasted a long time…,” she said. “We were still living the way we were, and we’re so afraid to touch that money, because we knew that we had to budget for a long time.”
Milian gave insight into the behind-the-scenes costs of the world of entertainment. What may seem life luxury is always charged to the artist’s account.
“They’ll offer you massages, dinners, shopping – but it’s all coming out of your budget,” she said.
Milian revealed that she was encouraged to change her name to gain mainstream appeal. Eventually, she changed her last name from Flores to Milian (
“Changing my last name changed the trajectory of my whole career overnight… It’s crazy, and it’s unfortunate,” she said. “It’s not something that I’m proud of, but I’m happy we see more Black, Latina faces on television.”