Kennedy moved into the Penthouse Mansion in New York at the age of 18. She lived there for 10 years and after her appearances in Penthouse magazine as the December 1981 Pet of the Month and later as the 1983 Pet of the Year, Kennedy began an acting career. She appeared mostly in low-budget sex comedies, such as The First Turn-On!, Spring Break, and Ellie, starring alongside Academy Award winner Shelley Winters. Kennedy also appeared briefly in the opening scene of National Lampoon's European Vacation as a game show prize model.
In the spring of 2008, Kennedy was a houseguest on the U.S. reality show Big Brother 9. She came in 3rd Place and left the house on Day 77, after Ryan Quicksall won the final Head of Household competition and chose to evict her. Kennedy later cohosted House Calls: The Big Brother Talk Show for Big Brother 10 on Wednesdays.
Kennedy completed a memoir titled No One's Pet about her time living at the Penthouse Mansion and her relationship with publisher and magazine founder Bob Guccione. The book is published by Jerrick Media and was released in February 2016.
