Lisa Kennedy Daughters: A Complete Look at the Fox News Host’s Family Life

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, known professionally as Kennedy, has two daughters with her husband Dave Lee: Pele Valentine Lee and Lotus Lee. The Fox Business Network host and former MTV VJ has built a successful media career while raising her two girls largely out of the public spotlight. Kennedy, now 52 years old, has been intentionally private about her children’s lives, sharing only occasional glimpses of family moments while protecting their privacy in an age of social media overexposure.

The television personality’s approach to parenting reflects her libertarian values and her desire to give her daughters a childhood that’s as normal as possible despite having a famous mother. Let’s explore everything about Kennedy’s daughters, her family life, and how she’s balanced a high-profile career with motherhood.

Who Is Lisa Kennedy Montgomery?

Before diving into her role as a mother, it’s important to understand who Kennedy is and how she built her media empire.

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery was born on September 8, 1972, in Indianapolis, Indiana, making her 52 years old as of 2024. She grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and later moved to Southern California where she attended Lakeridge High School before graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Philosophy.

Kennedy first rose to fame in the 1990s as one of MTV’s most recognizable video jockeys during the network’s golden era. She hosted shows like “Alternative Nation” and “Hangin’ with MTV” from 1992 to 1997, becoming known for her sharp wit, black-rimmed glasses, and irreverent interviewing style.

Her MTV years put her in contact with some of the biggest names in music during the grunge and alternative rock explosion. She interviewed everyone from Nirvana to Soundgarden, from Radiohead to The Smashing Pumpkins, establishing herself as more than just another VJ but as someone who genuinely understood the culture she was covering.

After leaving MTV, Kennedy reinvented herself as a political commentator. She’s appeared on numerous networks and shows, but found her most permanent home at Fox News, where she’s hosted “Kennedy” on Fox Business Network since 2015. The show combines political commentary with Kennedy’s signature humor and libertarian perspective.

Meeting Dave Lee: A Love Story

Kennedy met her husband, professional snowboarder Dave Lee, in the late 1990s. The exact details of their first meeting aren’t widely publicized, but they connected through California’s action sports scene where Lee had made a name for himself.

Dave Lee competed professionally in snowboarding during an era when the sport was transitioning from counterculture activity to mainstream Olympic event. He was part of the generation that helped legitimize snowboarding as a serious athletic pursuit rather than just a rebellious alternative to skiing.

The couple married on May 31, 2000, in a ceremony that reflected both their personalities, unconventional yet meaningful. Their relationship has now lasted over 24 years, which is remarkable by both Hollywood and media industry standards.

Lee largely stays out of the public eye, supporting Kennedy’s career while maintaining his own identity separate from her fame. This dynamic has allowed their family to maintain more privacy than many media families experience.

Pele Valentine Lee: The Firstborn

Kennedy and Dave welcomed their first daughter, Pele Valentine Lee, in the early 2000s. While Kennedy has never publicly confirmed Pele’s exact birthdate, various sources suggest she was born around 2005, making her approximately 19 years old as of 2024.

The name Pele is distinctive and carries multiple possible meanings. It could reference the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire, or it might be a nod to the legendary Brazilian soccer player Pelé. Given Dave Lee’s background in action sports and the couple’s West Coast lifestyle, the Hawaiian connection seems most likely.

Valentine as a middle name adds a romantic, softer element to the strong first name. It suggests Kennedy and Dave wanted to balance strength with gentleness in their daughter’s identity.

Kennedy has mentioned Pele occasionally on social media and in interviews, but always carefully. She’s shared that Pele inherited some of her mother’s strong personality and independent streak, traits that Kennedy clearly values and encourages.

As Pele has entered young adulthood, she’s remained largely private. There’s no public information about which college she might attend or what career path she’s considering. This privacy is intentional and reflects Kennedy’s protective approach to parenting in the public eye.

Lotus Lee: The Youngest

Kennedy’s second daughter, Lotus Lee, was born several years after Pele, though again, Kennedy has kept the exact birthdate private. Based on Kennedy’s social media posts and interviews over the years, Lotus appears to be approximately 15-16 years old as of 2024.

The name Lotus carries deep symbolic meaning across multiple cultures. In Buddhism, the lotus represents purity, enlightenment, and rebirth because it grows from mud yet blooms clean and beautiful. In Hindu tradition, the lotus is associated with beauty, prosperity, and spiritual awakening.

This name choice suggests Kennedy and Dave were drawn to both the natural beauty of the lotus flower and its deeper spiritual significance. It’s a name that stands out without being overly unusual, much like her sister’s name.

Kennedy has described Lotus as having a different personality from her older sister, which is common in siblings. While she hasn’t gone into extensive detail, she’s implied that Lotus is perhaps more reserved or thoughtful than the outgoing Pele.

Like her sister, Lotus has been kept largely out of the public spotlight. Kennedy occasionally shares photos that include her daughters, but rarely tags them or provides identifying information that would make them easily searchable online.

Kennedy’s Parenting Philosophy

Kennedy’s approach to parenting reflects her libertarian political philosophy and her experiences growing up in the pre-internet era. She’s spoken about wanting her daughters to experience childhood without the constant documentation and social media pressure that defines modern adolescence.

In interviews, Kennedy has emphasized the importance of teaching her daughters to think critically and question authority, including questioning her. This approach aligns with her political beliefs about individual liberty and personal responsibility.

She’s also discussed the challenges of raising children while working in media. Unlike a traditional 9-to-5 job, Kennedy’s career requires evening tapings, travel for speaking engagements, and constant engagement with news cycles. Balancing these demands with being present for her daughters has required careful planning and strong support from Dave.

Kennedy has mentioned that she and Dave made the decision early on that he would take a less public role in order to be more available for the girls. This arrangement has allowed Kennedy to pursue her ambitious career while ensuring their daughters have at least one parent who’s more consistently available.

The family reportedly lives in the Los Angeles area, which allows Kennedy to commute to Fox Business Network’s studios while still being in a location that offers outdoor activities and a more relaxed lifestyle than New York City, where many of her colleagues are based.

Kennedy’s Career Evolution and Family Impact

Kennedy’s career trajectory from MTV VJ to political commentator to primetime host happened alongside her journey into motherhood. These parallel paths have shaped both her professional persona and her parenting approach.

When Kennedy first became a mother in the mid-2000s, she was transitioning from her MTV fame into more serious political commentary. She appeared as a pundit on various shows, wrote columns, and authored several books. This period of career reinvention coincided with early motherhood, requiring her to prove herself in a new arena while managing the demands of raising a baby.

Her 2005 book “Hey Ladies! Tales and Tips for Curious Girls” touched on various aspects of women’s lives, though it was written before she had children. Later works would reflect more of her experiences as a mother, though she’s never written specifically about parenting.

By the time “Kennedy” launched on Fox Business Network in 2015, both daughters were school-aged. This timing was likely strategic, allowing Kennedy to take on a demanding hosting role when her children were more independent and in established school routines.

The show’s format, which Kennedy describes as “libertarian comedy,” allows her to bring personality and humor to political coverage. This approach may have been influenced by her experience as a parent, understanding that people want substance but also need relief from the intensity of modern politics.

Comparing Kennedy to Other Media Mothers

To understand Kennedy’s unique position, it’s helpful to compare her approach to parenting in the public eye with other prominent media mothers. The table below illustrates different approaches:

Kennedy’s high privacy approach stands out among contemporary media figures. While colleagues like Jenna Bush Hager regularly share photos and stories about their children, Kennedy maintains strict boundaries about what she reveals.

This approach is increasingly rare in the social media age, where personal branding often includes family content. Kennedy has resisted this trend, recognizing that her daughters didn’t choose to have a famous mother and shouldn’t have their childhoods documented for public consumption without their consent.

Her decision also reflects a generational awareness. Kennedy grew up in an era where celebrities’ children could have relatively normal childhoods. She’s trying to preserve that possibility for Pele and Lotus despite the challenges posed by modern technology and social media.

The Girls’ Education and Activities

While Kennedy keeps specific details private, she’s mentioned in various interviews that her daughters attend private school in the Los Angeles area. This choice reflects both the family’s financial ability and their desire to provide a high-quality education in a more controlled environment.

Kennedy has alluded to her daughters being involved in various activities, though she’s careful not to specify which sports or arts they pursue. This vagueness is intentional, designed to prevent fans or media from showing up at games or performances.

The family’s lifestyle suggests the girls have been exposed to outdoor activities. With Dave’s background in snowboarding and the family’s West Coast location, it’s likely they’ve participated in surfing, skiing, or other action sports, though this is speculation rather than confirmed information.

Kennedy has mentioned that both daughters are strong students, suggesting academics are emphasized in their household. Given Kennedy’s own philosophy degree from UCLA, intellectual development appears to be a family value.

Kennedy’s Net Worth and Family Finances

As of 2024, Kennedy’s estimated net worth is approximately $3 million, accumulated through her decades-long media career. This figure comes from her Fox News salary, previous television work, book deals, and speaking engagements.

Fox Business Network hosts typically earn between $200,000 and $3 million annually depending on ratings and experience. As a primetime host with a named show, Kennedy likely falls in the mid to upper range of that spectrum.

Her income from MTV in the 1990s, while substantial for that era, was significantly less than what she earns now. However, those years established her brand and opened doors that led to her current position.

Dave Lee’s earnings from professional snowboarding and any subsequent business ventures contribute to the family’s financial situation, though his income is not publicly disclosed. Professional snowboarders during his competitive era could earn from sponsorships, prize money, and later from brand partnerships or business ventures within the action sports industry.

The family’s financial stability has allowed them to make choices prioritizing their daughters’ wellbeing over maximum income. Kennedy could likely earn more through additional projects or by leveraging her daughters for content, but she’s chosen not to pursue these options.

Social Media Presence and Family Boundaries

Kennedy maintains active social media accounts, including Twitter and Instagram, where she shares professional content, political commentary, and occasional personal moments. However, her approach to sharing family content is carefully curated and minimal.

On Instagram, Kennedy’s feed is primarily professional, political memes, show promotion, and commentary on current events. Family photos appear occasionally but rarely feature her daughters’ faces clearly or include identifying information.

When Kennedy does post about her family, it’s usually in the context of holidays or special occasions. She might share a photo from a family vacation but taken from behind or at angles that don’t clearly show her daughters’ faces.

This approach contrasts sharply with many media personalities who’ve built secondary brands around their family life. Some hosts regularly feature their children in content, creating what critics call “sharenting,” the over-sharing of children’s lives online.

Kennedy has never explicitly criticized other parents’ choices to share more, but her actions speak to a different philosophy. She seems to believe that children should have the option to create their own digital presence when they’re old enough to understand the implications.

There are no verified social media accounts for either Pele or Lotus Lee. If they have personal accounts, they’re likely private and under different names, allowing them to interact with peers without the attention that comes from being Kennedy’s daughters.

The Impact of Kennedy’s Politics on Family Life

Kennedy’s libertarian political views are well-known to her audience. She’s pro-choice, supports LGBTQ+ rights, advocates for drug legalization, and opposes government overreach. These positions put her in an interesting position at Fox News, where she often represents a different perspective than some colleagues.

Raising children with libertarian values means emphasizing personal responsibility, individual liberty, and critical thinking. Kennedy has mentioned teaching her daughters to question narratives, including those presented in school or media.

This political framework likely influences practical parenting decisions as well. Libertarians often favor private education, which the family has chosen. They typically emphasize self-reliance and independence, traits Kennedy seems to be fostering in her daughters.

However, Kennedy has also been clear that she doesn’t want to impose her political views on her children. She’s described wanting them to develop their own perspectives through exposure to different ideas and critical analysis.

The challenge for any politically active parent is allowing children to form independent views while also transmitting family values. Kennedy seems to navigate this by focusing on principles, like individual liberty and critical thinking, rather than specific policy positions.

Privacy in the Public Eye: Challenges and Strategies

Maintaining privacy for her daughters while working in media requires constant vigilance and clear boundaries. Kennedy has developed several strategies to protect her family while pursuing her career.

First, she’s established that her daughters are off-limits for interviews and articles. Unlike some celebrities who include their children in magazine features or television appearances, Kennedy has never done a family profile or brought her daughters onto her show.

Second, she’s careful about what colleagues and friends share. While she can control her own social media, she can’t control what others post. It’s likely she’s had conversations with people in her circle about not tagging or mentioning her daughters online.

Third, she’s chosen to live in Los Angeles rather than New York, where many Fox News personalities are based. This geographic separation from the media hub provides a buffer and allows her daughters to attend schools where they’re less likely to be recognized.

Fourth, by keeping her daughters’ ages and birthdates vague, she’s made it harder for overzealous fans or media to track them down. Without specific identifying information, her daughters can move through the world with more anonymity.

These strategies require discipline and occasional difficult conversations. When colleagues share family moments on social media and build engagement around their children, there might be pressure to do the same. Kennedy’s commitment to her daughters’ privacy over potential professional benefits is notable.

Kennedy’s Books and Writing Career

Kennedy has authored several books throughout her career, each reflecting different phases of her life and evolving perspective. While none focus exclusively on parenting, her experiences as a mother likely influenced her later work.

Her first book, “Hey Ladies! Tales and Tips for Curious Girls” (2005), was published around the time she became a mother. It offered advice and commentary on various aspects of women’s lives, drawing from her MTV experiences and observations.

“The Kennedy Chronicles: The Golden Age of MTV Through Rose-Colored Glasses” (2013) was a memoir of her time at MTV. Written when both daughters were young, it allowed Kennedy to reflect on her early career while navigating the demands of motherhood.

These books established Kennedy as more than just a television personality. They demonstrated her ability to articulate ideas in long-form and connect with audiences beyond her shows’ viewers.

While Kennedy hasn’t written a parenting book, she’s occasionally contributed essays or commentary about balancing career and family. These pieces offer glimpses into her philosophy without exploiting her daughters’ lives for content.

Dave Lee’s Role in the Family Dynamic

Dave Lee’s decision to maintain a lower profile has been crucial to the family’s privacy strategy. Unlike some couples where both partners are in the public eye, the Lees have created a division of labor that works for their family.

Lee’s professional snowboarding career peaked before social media transformed how athletes connect with fans. He competed during an era when even successful action sports athletes could maintain relative anonymity outside their sport’s community.

After his competitive career, Lee transitioned into business ventures within the action sports industry. The specifics aren’t widely publicized, but he’s been involved in various capacities related to snowboarding and outdoor sports.

His role as the more present parent has allowed Kennedy to pursue demanding career opportunities. When Kennedy’s show tapes in the evening or she travels for speaking engagements, Lee provides stability and consistency for Pele and Lotus.

This arrangement challenges traditional gender roles where men are typically expected to be the primary breadwinners while women handle more childcare. The Lees have created a partnership based on their individual strengths and career opportunities rather than societal expectations.

Dave’s support has been acknowledged by Kennedy in various interviews, though she’s careful not to share too many specifics. She’s described him as her partner in every sense, someone who values family above ego or traditional masculine expectations.

The Girls’ Teenage Years and Young Adulthood

With Pele entering young adulthood and Lotus in her mid-teens, the Kennedy-Lee family is navigating new challenges. Teenage years bring increased independence, social pressures, and the need for parents to step back while remaining available.

For children of celebrities, these years can be particularly complicated. There’s often curiosity from peers about their famous parent, pressure to leverage that fame for social status, or conversely, a desire to completely separate from their parent’s identity.

Kennedy has mentioned that her daughters have had to explain to friends who their mother is, which sometimes comes as a surprise. This suggests Pele and Lotus don’t lead with their mother’s fame and have managed to develop identities separate from being “Kennedy’s daughters.”

The college years are approaching or already here for Pele. Whether she chooses to attend college, which school she selects, and what she studies will all be decisions that Kennedy and Dave will influence but ultimately can’t control. Kennedy’s own experience at UCLA might inform these discussions, but she’s likely encouraging Pele to find her own path.

For Lotus, high school brings its own pressures. In the Los Angeles area, where entertainment industry connections are common, there’s likely awareness among her peers that her mother is on television. How Lotus navigates this attention while developing her own identity is an ongoing process.

Lessons from Kennedy’s Approach to Famous Parenting

Kennedy’s approach to raising children while maintaining a public career offers several lessons for others in similar situations, or even for regular parents navigating social media.

First, privacy is possible even in the public eye, but it requires consistency and firm boundaries. Kennedy’s refusal to use her daughters for content or engagement demonstrates that alternative approaches exist to the “sharenting” culture.

Second, children don’t have to be part of their parents’ professional identity. While some celebrities have successfully included their children in their brand, Kennedy shows that professional success doesn’t require family exploitation.

Third, having one parent in a supporting role while the other pursues an ambitious career can work when both partners are aligned on priorities. The Lees’ arrangement challenges traditional structures and proves that families can create their own models.

Fourth, teaching children critical thinking and independence may be more valuable than protecting them from all adversity. Kennedy’s emphasis on questioning authority and thinking independently equips her daughters to navigate challenges rather than avoiding them entirely.

Fifth, not every family moment needs to be documented or shared. In an era where every milestone appears on social media, Kennedy’s selective sharing reminds us that some experiences are more meaningful when kept private.

The Future for Pele and Lotus Lee

As Pele enters her twenties and Lotus approaches adulthood, their futures remain open and largely unknown to the public. This uncertainty is exactly what Kennedy has fought to preserve, the ability for her daughters to define themselves without predetermined narratives.

Whether either daughter chooses to enter media, politics, or public life remains to be seen. They’ve been raised by parents with strong personalities and clear values, but also with encouragement to think independently and forge their own paths.

Pele is at the age where career decisions become concrete. Whether she attends graduate school, enters the workforce, or pursues creative endeavors will become apparent in the coming years. The fact that we don’t already know these details speaks to Kennedy’s successful privacy strategy.

Lotus still has several years before similar decisions crystallize. Her teenage years will continue shaping who she becomes, and Kennedy’s role will continue evolving from active parenting to more advisory guidance.

One question that may arise is whether either daughter eventually chooses to speak publicly about their experience growing up with a famous mother. If they do, it will be on their terms and timeline, not as children exploited for content but as adults with agency over their own stories.

Kennedy’s Legacy as Both Media Figure and Mother

When Kennedy’s career is eventually assessed, her success as a television personality will be obvious. She successfully transitioned from MTV to political commentary, maintained relevance across multiple decades, and built a distinct brand in a crowded media landscape.

But her legacy as a mother who successfully protected her daughters’ privacy while maintaining a public career may be equally significant. In an era where privacy seems increasingly impossible, especially for children of famous parents, Kennedy has demonstrated that different choices are possible.

Her approach offers a counterpoint to the influencer culture where children become content. It suggests that fame and family life don’t have to be merged, that professional success doesn’t require exploiting personal relationships.

The real test of her parenting will come from Pele and Lotus themselves. If they emerge as confident, independent adults with the agency to define their own lives, that will be Kennedy’s greatest achievement, more significant than any television rating or viral moment.

Conclusion: Respecting Boundaries While Celebrating Success

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery’s two daughters, Pele Valentine Lee and Lotus Lee, remain largely unknown to the public despite their mother’s prominent media career. This isn’t an accident but the result of deliberate choices by Kennedy and Dave Lee to prioritize their daughters’ privacy and normal childhood over the engagement and attention that family content might generate.

Kennedy’s approach represents a principled stance in an era where the boundaries between public and private life have blurred. While building a successful career at Fox Business Network and becoming a recognizable media personality, she’s maintained that her daughters’ lives belong to them, not to her audience.

The Kennedy-Lee family demonstrates that alternative approaches to famous parenting exist. Not every celebrity child has to grow up documented on social media or leveraged for their parent’s brand. With clear boundaries, supportive partnership, and consistent values, families can navigate public life while preserving private space.

As Pele and Lotus continue growing into adulthood, they’ll do so with opportunities that come from their family’s success but also with the privacy to define themselves on their own terms. Whatever paths they choose, they’ll have the foundation of a childhood that was protected rather than exploited, private rather than performed.

That might be the most valuable gift Kennedy could give her daughters, not fame or followers, but the freedom to become whoever they want to be without the weight of a public childhood shaping their identity. In protecting her daughters’ privacy, Kennedy has protected their future possibilities, and that’s something worth celebrating and emulating.