New York, NY – June 02, 2025, 11:36 PM ET – Fox News star Dana Perino, co-host of The Five and America’s Newsroom, made headlines last week with her purchase of a $4.2 million luxury suburban home in the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey—but her decision not to include her stepdaughter Kelly McMahon’s name on the paperwork has reportedly caused a rift in the family, according to an insider source. The 53-year-old political commentator, whose net worth is estimated at $6 million, has kept the move private, but the omission has raised eyebrows among those close to her.
Perino and her husband, Peter McMahon, 70, a British businessman, purchased the 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom estate on May 25, 2025, featuring a gourmet kitchen, home theater, and sprawling backyard, per property records obtained by The Daily Mail. The couple, married since 1998, already own a beach house in Bay Head, NJ, and a rental property in Palmetto Bluff, SC, but the new home—closer to Fox News’ Manhattan studios—signals a shift toward a more permanent suburban base. “It’s a dream home for Dana,” the source told The Daily Mail. “She wanted a quiet retreat after years of long hours.”
The decision to exclude Kelly, one of McMahon’s four adult children from his previous marriage (Colin, Kelly, Lauren, and Mark), has sparked tension. Perino, who has no biological children but recently welcomed daughter Mira via surrogacy in December 2024, has been a stepmother for over 25 years. The source claims Kelly, 38, a marketing executive in London, expected her name on the deed as a gesture of inclusion, especially since Perino has been a significant maternal figure. “Kelly felt hurt—she thought this was a way to solidify their bond,” the source said. “Dana’s reasoning was financial and legal, but it didn’t sit well.”
Perino’s decision aligns with estate planning advice often given to blended families, as highlighted by legal experts at Tillem McNichol & Brown, who caution against adding stepchildren to property deeds without understanding the implications, such as loss of control over the asset. Perino, known for her meticulous nature—seen in her 2018 preventative mastectomy due to a BRCA mutation—likely opted to protect her $3 million investment, especially given her recent charitable spending, including $3 million for Mira’s Hope Academy in Montana. However, the move has left Kelly feeling sidelined, with the source noting, “She’s worried Dana prioritizes Mira over the stepkids.”
Social media reactions under #PerinoHomeDrama are mixed, with some fans supporting her choice—“It’s her money, her call!”—while others criticized her, saying, “Stepkids deserve equal treatment.” Fox News colleagues have stayed mum, though Greg Gutfeld posted on X, “Dana’s got a good head on her shoulders—she’ll sort it out.” Perino, who often credits McMahon’s support for her success, as shared in a 2022 episode of A Dana Perino Podcast, has not commented publicly, consistent with her private approach to family matters.
The purchase, while a milestone for Perino, underscores the challenges of navigating blended family dynamics under public scrutiny. As she settles into her new home, the fallout with Kelly may test the couple’s long-standing unity, leaving fans to wonder how Perino will balance her roles as a stepmother, new mother, and media powerhouse.