Erin Brockovich is a renowned American environmental activist, consumer advocate, and paralegal who helped expose the groundwater contamination by Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in Hinkley, California, in 1993.

She worked with attorney Ed Masry to file a lawsuit against PG&E, which resulted in a $333 million settlement for the affected residents of Hinkley.

Her story was made into a popular movie starring Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Brockovich.

Brockovich has continued to fight for environmental justice and consumer rights, working as a consultant for various law firms and hosting TV shows.

Profile

• Full name: Erin Brockovich-Ellis
• Date of birth: June 22, 1960
• Age: 63 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Environmental activist, consumer advocate, paralegal, consultant, author, TV host
• Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
• Parents: Frank Pattee (father), Betty Jo O’Neal-Pattee (mother)
• Siblings: Frank Pattee Jr. (brother), Thomas Pattee (brother), Jodie Knight (sister)
• Spouse: Shawn Brown (m. 1982; div. 1987), Steven Brockovich (m. 1989; div. 1990), Eric L. Ellis (m. 1999; div. 2012)
• Children: Matthew Brown (son), Katie Brown (daughter), Elizabeth Brockovich (daughter)
• Relationship status: Single
• Net worth: $10 million

Early Life & Education

Erin Brockovich, who is now 63 years old as of 2023, was born on June 22, 1960, in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.

She was the youngest of four children of Frank Pattee, an industrial engineer and former football player, and Betty Jo O’Neal-Pattee, a journalist and photographer.

She grew up in a middle-class family and attended Lawrence High School, where she was a cheerleader and a speech team member.

She graduated in 1978 and moved to Dallas, Texas, where she enrolled in Wade College, a vocational school that offered a degree in applied arts. She studied fashion merchandising and design and graduated in 1980.

She then moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked as a management trainee for Kmart. She soon realized she was unhappy with her career choice and decided to pursue other opportunities.

Personal Life

Erin Brockovich has been married and divorced three times. Her first marriage was to restaurant manager Shawn Brown in 1982.

They had two children, Matthew and Katie before they divorced in 1987. Her second marriage was to Steven Brockovich, an electrical engineer, in 1989.

They had one daughter, Elizabeth, before they divorced in 1990. Her third marriage was to Eric L. Ellis, an actor, in 1999.

They divorced in 2012. Brockovich has stated that she is not interested in getting married again and is happy being single. She lives in Agoura Hills, California, with her three dogs.

Career

Erin Brockovich’s career as an environmental activist and consumer advocate began in 1991 when she was hired as a file clerk by Ed Masry, a lawyer who had represented her in a car accident case.

She was assigned to work on a pro bono case involving medical records of residents of Hinkley, California, who claimed that their health problems were caused by the contamination of their groundwater by PG&E.

This utility company operated a natural gas compression station near the town.

Brockovich was intrigued by the case and decided to investigate it further. She discovered that PG&E had been using hexavalent chromium, a carcinogenic chemical, to prevent corrosion in their pipelines.

They had been dumping the wastewater into unlined ponds that leaked into the aquifer.

She also found out that PG&E had been lying to the residents about the safety of their water and that they had been manipulating the test results to avoid liability.

She collected evidence and testimonies from the residents and convinced Masry to file a class action lawsuit against PG&E for more than 600 plaintiffs.

The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history. Brockovich received a bonus of $2.5 million for her work on the case.

Brockovich’s story was brought to the public’s attention by the 2000 movie Erin Brockovich, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Julia Roberts as Brockovich.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, earning $256 million worldwide and five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Roberts, who won the Oscar for her performance.

The movie also made Brockovich a household name and a symbol of environmental justice and consumer rights. Brockovich herself appeared in the movie as a waitress named Julia.

After the movie, Brockovich worked as a paralegal and consultant for various law firms, specializing in environmental and consumer cases.

She also became a public speaker, a media personality, and an author. She has hosted several TV shows, such as Final Justice with Erin Brockovich on Lifetime, Challenge America with Erin Brockovich on ABC, and Erin Brockovich: The Real Story on Reelz.

She has also written and co-written several books, such as Take It from Me: Life’s a Struggle, But You Can Win, Rock Bottom, Hot Water, and Superman’s Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It.

She has also contributed articles and columns to various publications, such as The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and The New York Times.

Brockovich has been involved in many high-profile environmental and consumer cases, such as the chromium contamination in Midland, Texas; the MTBE contamination in South Lake Tahoe, California; the toxic mould exposure in Beverly Hills High School, California; the water pollution in Hinckley, England; the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee; the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan; and the PFAS contamination in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

She has also advocated for the rights of veterans, workers, and consumers who asbestos, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other products have harmed.

She has been recognized for her work with various awards and honours, such as the Presidential Award of Merit from the American Association of Justice, the Honorary Doctor of Laws from Lewis and Clark Law School, the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Loyola Marymount University, and the Women of the Year Award from Glamour Magazine.

Net Worth

Erin Brockovich has an estimated net worth of $10 million. She has earned her wealth from her work as a paralegal, a consultant, a speaker, a media personality, and an author.

She has also received royalties from the movie Erin Brockovich and her books.

Controversy

Erin Brockovich has faced some controversy and criticism for her work and views. Some of her critics have accused her of being a self-promoter, a sensationalist, a fearmonger, and a pseudoscientist. They have also questioned her credentials, methods, motives, and accuracy.

Some of the cases that have generated controversy include:

The chromium contamination in Hinkley, California: Some scientists and regulators have argued that the level of chromium in the groundwater was not high enough to cause cancer or other health problems and that the settlement was based on faulty science and media hype.

They have also claimed that Brockovich exaggerated the number and severity of the illnesses among the residents and that some of the plaintiffs were not even exposed to the contaminated water. They have also pointed out that there was no increase in cancer rates in Hinkley after the settlement and that some residents who moved out of the town have returned or regretted leaving.

The toxic mould exposure in Beverly Hills High School, California: Brockovich and Masry filed a lawsuit in 2003 on behalf of more than 1,000 former students and staff of the school, who claimed that they had developed cancer and other diseases from the exposure to toxic mould and oil wells on the school campus.

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @the_real_erin_brockovich
• Twitter handle: @erinbrockovich

Books

• Take It from Me: Life’s a Struggle But You Can Win
• Rock Bottom
• Hot Water

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