Yes, Tina Fey does have children. The comedic actress and writer is a mother of two daughters. Fey had her first child, Alice Zenobia Richmond, in 2005. Five years later in 2011, she gave birth to her second daughter, Penelope Athena Richmond. Fey has managed to balance her successful entertainment career with raising a family.
Tina Fey’s First Pregnancy
Tina Fey became pregnant with her first child in 2004 while she was at the height of her career success. That year, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. She was also writing, producing and starring as Liz Lemon on the new comedy series 30 Rock, which premiered in 2006.
Fey did not make any official announcements about her first pregnancy. She was able to keep it mostly hidden from the public eye. However, she did openly discuss it later on talk shows and interviews.
Fey has stated that she was nervous about being pregnant for the first time while juggling her demanding career. But she has also said that working kept her mind busy and actually made the pregnancy go by faster. She continued working on 30 Rock throughout her pregnancy, even disguising her baby bump under loose clothing.
Alice Zenobia Richmond is Born
On September 10, 2005, Tina Fey gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Alice Zenobia Richmond. The middle name Zenobia was likely chosen as a tribute to Fey’s mother, Zenobia “Jeanne” Xenakes.
Alice was born in New York, where Fey lived with her husband Jeff Richmond. Richmond is a composer and producer who Fey met while working on Saturday Night Live. They married in 2001.
Fey took a short maternity leave from 30 Rock after Alice was born. She resumed working when Alice was just a few months old. Fey has commented that having her first child made her even more efficient and productive with her time.
Growing the Family With Second Daughter Penelope
On August 10, 2011, when Alice was six years old, Tina Fey gave birth to her second daughter, Penelope Athena Richmond.
Fey was 40 years old when Penelope was born. She once again kept a low profile regarding her pregnancy. She finally confirmed that she was expecting again during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Fey admitted that having two kids instead of one added new challenges to parenting while maintaining her demanding career. However, she also said the second time around felt more familiar and less anxiety-inducing.
Penelope’s Name Inspiration
Fey chose the name Penelope for her second daughter. In Greek mythology, Penelope was the famously faithful wife of Odysseus who waited twenty long years for her husband to return from the Trojan War. Fey seems to have an affinity for names inspired by Greek tales, as seen with her eldest daughter’s middle name Zenobia.
Athena was likely selected as a middle name for its connection to Fey’s husband’s last name Richmond. The goddess Athena was said to be the patron and protector of the city of Athens.
Tina Fey’s Life as a Working Mom
Raising two young daughters while being an active player in the entertainment industry certainly kept Tina Fey busy. But she learned to balance it all with hard work and some helpful organization skills.
Scheduling and Planning
Fey had to become an expert at maintaining a tight schedule in order to juggle motherhood with her TV production duties. She kept a color-coded calendar to stay on top of her tasks and commitments. She also learned to take advantage of small pockets of time to get work done, like during her kids’ naptimes.
Support System
Although Fey put in long hours, she also had a strong support system that allowed her to keep up with her fast-paced lifestyle. Her husband Jeff was a hands-on dad who shared childcare responsibilities. They also had trusted nannies who helped out when needed.
Quality Time with the Kids
Despite Fey’s jam-packed schedule, she made her kids a top priority. She cut back on outside work obligations in order to spend evenings and weekends focused on family time. She also frequently brought her daughters to the 30 Rock set with her.
Tina Fey’s Daughters Now
Tina Fey’s daughters Alice and Penelope are now 17 and 11 years old. The family still resides in New York City, where the girls lead relatively normal lives despite their famous mom. Fey and her husband continue to keep their daughters mostly out of the spotlight.
Alice Zenobia Richmond
As the eldest daughter, Alice has had more time in the public eye over the years. She has joined her mom on a few red carpets and talk show appearances. Based on the limited glimpses we’ve gotten, it appears Alice has inherited some of her mother’s humor and wit.
Not much is known about Alice’s schooling or interests. But in 2016, Fey shared that Alice was into Japanese culture and anime. She also plays the violin. Alice was born in 2005, making her currently around 17 years old as of late 2022.
Penelope Athena Richmond
Penelope has been photographed with her mom and sister less frequently than Alice. But the younger Richmond daughter did accompany Fey to her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2015 when she was four years old.
In a 2021 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Fey revealed that the then 10-year-old Penelope was obsessed with the side-scrolling video game Among Us. Fey also said her daughters were coping with pandemic life by constantly making TikTok videos together.
Now 11, Penelope is likely settling into her tween years. Fey says she tries to give her pre-teen space to develop her own interests and learn from experiences.
How Motherhood Changed Tina Fey
Even though she maintained her successful career, becoming a mom still had a significant impact on Tina Fey. She says that having children made her See the world differently and reevaluate her priorities.
Shift in Priorities
Fey has stated that before having kids, her main focus was advancing her career. But motherhood gave her a fuller sense of purpose outside of work. She has said her family became the most important thing in her life.
Less Sweating the Small Stuff
Fey also believes that having kids helped her stress less over minor issues. Seeing the world through her daughters’ eyes made her perspective more innocent and youthful.
Embracing Imperfection
As a writer and actress, Fey was accustomed to striving for perfection. But as a mom she learned to accept flaws and find joy in the messiness of life. Her kids helped her embrace imperfections.
Fun Facts About Tina Fey’s Family Life
Over the years, Tina Fey has shared some intriguing tidbits about her private family life during interviews and in her memoir. Here are some fun facts about Fey as a mom:
- Her second daughter Penelope was born at home in their Manhattan apartment.
- She admits to spoiling her kids by allowing unlimited screen time when she needs to focus on work.
- Her husband Jeff has composed songs and music for episodes of 30 Rock and other Fey projects.
- She says her kids have no interest in watching Mean Girls and think of their mom as “boring.”
- Her daughters speak Greek with their grandparents to stay connected to their heritage.
Conclusion
Balancing motherhood and career is never easy, but Tina Fey has managed to do it with immense success. While starring on 30 Rock, she raised two young daughters and still became one of the biggest names in comedy. Fey is an inspiration for working moms everywhere. After welcoming her children, she learned to evolve and adapt her priorities without losing her passion for creating. Alice and Penelope may have inherited some of their mom’s sharp wit and intelligence. But they still lead relatively typical childhoods out of the spotlight thanks to Fey and her husband’s careful parenting. Fey’s daughters seem to keep her grounded in what matters most in life.