We know plenty about Candy Montgomery, but what about her children?
As you might've noticed, Candy Montgomery's kids have had brief appearances in the various limited series that are currently streaming—Candy on Hulu, Love & Death on HBO Max—but little is known about the two in real life. What happened to the Montgomery family after Candy killed Betty, and how did they survive this very public crime?
Candy Montgomery kids: who are Jennifer and Ian?
In both Candy and Love & Death, we're introduced to the Texas housewives' young children, Jennifer and Ian, who go by aliases on TV. We don't learn much about their ages or personalities, but we gather they're roughly 5-7, and her daughter is the older child.
But let's backtrack a bit for those who are unaware of Candy's story: the wife and mother grew tired of a quiet life and began an affair with Allan Gore, Betty's husband. The families met at church and grew close, which made the infidelity all the more surprising. But no one could've prepared for what happened next.
On June 18, 1980, Candy arrived to Betty's house to pick up young Alisa Gore's bathing suit, as she'd be staying at Candy's that evening. That's when Betty broached the topic of the affair, and things turned physical. Ultimately, Candy slashed Betty 41 times with an ax and left her for dead in her utility closet while her infant daughter was crying in her crib and Allan Gore was away on business. Oh, and she ventured back to Bible study after the killing.
When did Candy get caught? After authorities interviewed Allan, who had confessed to having an affair, they moved in on their target. But surprisingly, after the Candy Montgomery trial in October 1980, she left the courtroom a free woman, as she claimed she had acted in self-defense.
What happened to Pat and Candy Montgomery's kids?
Following the chaos of Betty's murder and the contentious trial, Candy and Pat Montgomery picked up from Texas and uprooted their family to Georgia, presumably where they still are to this day, though the two divorced two years after the incident.
There isn't much information available about Jennifer and Ian, but sources claim that they're in their forties and are parents themselves. Considering Candy now goes by her maiden name, Candace Wheeler, and Pat now goes by the name James, it's entirely likely that the two have decided to use aliases moving forward so as to remain out of the spotlight.
When it comes to Alisa and Bethany Gore, however, they're easier to track down. Both of Betty's daughters are in their forties and have families of their own; Alisa works for an engineering company, while Bethany followed in her mother's footsteps to become a teacher and eventually principal. Twenty years after their mother's death, they spoke to The Dallas Morning News in 2000 with heartbreaking accounts of carrying on without Betty, who they remember little about to begin with.
"I just think she got away with it," Bethany Gore, now Bethany Mickey, told the outlet. "I'm one of those people who are very emotional, extremely emotional."
You can watch the fictional takes of the story now; Candy is streaming in full on Hulu, and Love & Death is being released weekly on Thursdays through May 25 on HBO Max.
