Kaylee DeFer Net Worth

What is Kaylee DeFer's Net Worth?

Kaylee DeFer is an American former actress who has a net worth of $800 thousand.

Katie DeFer is best known for playing Hillary Gold on the Fox sitcom "The War at Home" and Ivy Dickens on The CW teen drama "Gossip Girl." She worked steadily through the 2000s and early 2010s, appearing in network shows, teen comedies, dramas, and independent films before stepping away from acting after the birth of her first child. Her television credits include "Drake & Josh," "The Mountain," "The War at Home," "Ghost Whisperer," "Bones," "CSI: Miami," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Gossip Girl." On film, she appeared in "Underclassman," "Flicka," "Red State," "Renegade," and "Darkroom." DeFer has largely kept a private life since leaving Hollywood and is married to Michael Fitzpatrick, the lead singer of Fitz and the Tantrums.

Early Life

Kaylee Anne DeFer was born on September 23, 1986, in Tucson, Arizona. She grew up in Arizona and attended Christian schools before moving to Los Angeles as a teenager to pursue acting. Like many young performers of her era, she started with guest roles and supporting parts before landing series work.

DeFer entered Hollywood during a period when teen comedies, WB dramas, and young-adult ensemble shows were a major part of television. Her look and timing quickly made her a fit for those projects, and by the mid-2000s she was working regularly.

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Career

DeFer made her television debut in 2004 with a guest appearance on "Drake & Josh." That same year, she appeared on "North Shore" and "Quintuplets" and was cast as Scarlett on the short-lived WB drama "The Mountain." The series was set around a ski resort and featured several young actors who later became familiar television faces.

Her first major role came in 2005, when she was cast as Hillary Gold on the Fox sitcom "The War at Home." The show starred Michael Rapaport and Anita Barone as parents raising three children on Long Island. DeFer played the oldest child, a rebellious teenage daughter whose storylines often centered on dating, independence, and clashing with her parents. The series ran for two seasons and 44 episodes, giving DeFer her first steady national exposure.

During that period, she also moved into film. She appeared in the 2005 Nick Cannon comedy "Underclassman" and played Miranda Koop in the 2006 family drama "Flicka," starring Tim McGraw, Maria Bello, and Alison Lohman. She later appeared in independent films including "In My Pocket," "Renegade," Kevin Smith's "Red State," and the thriller "Darkroom."

After "The War at Home," DeFer continued working across television. She appeared on "Shark," voiced a character on "Family Guy," and booked guest roles on "Ghost Whisperer," "Bones," "CSI: Miami," "Friends with Benefits," and "How I Met Your Mother."

Her most recognizable role came in 2011, when she joined "Gossip Girl" as Ivy Dickens, a struggling actress and con artist who is introduced to the Upper East Side under the false identity of Charlotte "Charlie" Rhodes. The character became part of one of the show's major later-season twists. DeFer first appeared in season four, became a main cast member in seasons five and six, and remained with the series through its 2012 finale.

In 2013, DeFer indicated that she planned to take a break from acting after becoming pregnant with her first child. She has not maintained a major screen career since then, making her one of the more low-profile former cast members from the "Gossip Girl" era.

Personal Life

DeFer was previously engaged to jewelry designer Michael Raymond Pereira, but the engagement ended in 2012. She later began dating Michael Fitzpatrick, the lead singer of Fitz and the Tantrums.

DeFer and Fitzpatrick welcomed their first son, Theodore "Theo" Ignatius, in September 2013. The couple married on July 25, 2015. Their second son, Sebastian "Bash" Danger, was born in April 2017, and their third son, Rémy Lincoln, was born in May 2019.

Since stepping away from acting, DeFer has largely avoided the celebrity spotlight. Her career remains most closely associated with two very different television roles: Hillary Gold on "The War at Home," a mid-2000s network sitcom, and Ivy Dickens on "Gossip Girl," one of the defining teen dramas of its generation.

Real Estate

In 2014, Michael and Kaylee paid $1.91 million for a midcentury home in Pasadena, California. The property sits on a nearly three-quarter-acre knoll surrounded by mature oak trees, giving it a private, wooded feel within one of Los Angeles County's most desirable residential communities.

The home spans roughly 3,100 square feet and features three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. At the time of the purchase, the house had a somewhat dated interior, leaving room for the family to update and personalize the property. The layout included a living room and den, both with fireplaces, along with glass sliding doors that opened to multiple patios and outdoor entertaining areas. Today, the Pasadena home is worth around $4 million.

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