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(NewsNation) — The Kennedy family has a storied history in American politics. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a scion of the prominent Democratic political dynasty that included his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy; his father, late senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; and his mother, social justice trailblazer Ethel Kennedy.
Kennedy, like his father, ran for president. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed during his candidacy as a Democrat, while the junior Kennedy, who ran on the independent ticket, withdrew from the 2024 race and issued his support for President Donald Trump.
Trump tapped Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which ignited a family feud. Kennedy was later confirmed to that position. This all comes as Trump is set to release more files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
“Thank you, President Trump for trusting American citizens and for taking the first step down the road towards reversing this disastrous trajectory,” Kennedy said in response to Trump announcing he would release the files.
Here’s a breakdown of Kennedy’s closest family members and the Kennedy family legacy.
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy is Kennedy’s cousin and the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy. She previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Japan and Australia.
She is the latest family member to publically condemn Kennedy. On Jan. 28, Caroline Kennedy urged U.S. lawmakers to reject her cousin’s nomination to be the nation’s health chief.
Caroline Kennedy said her cousin “lacks any relevant government, financial, management or medical experience” to qualify him to lead the nation’s health agencies — but added that his “personal qualities” pose “even greater concern.”
“I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator,” she wrote in a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Finance and HELP committees.
Caroline Kennedy said that she has siblings and cousins “who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse and suffered addiction, illness, and death while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie and cheat his way through life.”
She also accused Kennedy of expropriating her father’s image and distorting his legacy to “advance his own failed presidential campaign.”
“Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father — but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public service, and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his Senate career to improving health care, would be disgusted,” she wrote.
Cheryl Hines
Kennedy is married to Cheryl Hines, an actress known best for her role in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
While she stuck by her husband’s side through his presidential run, she was not in lockstep with his endorsement of Trump.
“This is really difficult for Cheryl,” Kennedy told TMZ. “This is the opposite of what she would want to do. She went along with it because she loves me, and she wanted to be supportive of me, but it was not something that she ever encouraged.
“I would say her trepidation about this and her discomfort with this were the dominant feelings.”
Described as a “lifelong Democrat” by her husband, Hines has remained supportive of her husband despite their differing political beliefs.
Mary Richardson Kennedy
Mary Richardson Kennedy, an architect, was formerly married to Kennedy.
They had four children together, and the couple separated in 2010. He reportedly initiated divorce proceedings following 16 years of marriage.
Kennedy and Mary Richardson Kennedy were still technically married when she died by suicide in 2012. She was 52.
Jack Schlossberg
Jack Schlossberg, a writer, is the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of Caroline Kennedy. Ahead of the 2024 election, he joined Vogue as a political correspondent.
Schlossberg has a background in law and business, and is a graduate of Harvard University.
Schlossberg has praised his grandfather as his “hero,” but he does not share the same sentiment for Kennedy. Schlossberg made headlines for his public criticism of Kennedy’s presidential run.
“These are the issues that matter. And if my cousin, Bobby Kennedy Jr., cared about any of them, he would support Joe Biden too,” Schlossberg said at the time.
Schlossberg has a big following on social media, where he posts about politics and comedic sketches on TikTok. In January, he posted about the John F. Kennedy files, saying, “The truth is a lot sadder than the myth — a tragedy that didn’t need to happen. Not part of an inevitable grand scheme. Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back. There’s nothing heroic about it.”
RFK Jr.’s children
Kennedy had two children with his first wife, Emily Ruth Black: son Robert Francis Kennedy III and daughter Kick Kennedy.
Kennedy had four children with his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy: Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, Aidan Kennedy and Finn Kennedy.
He is also stepfather to Hine’s daughter, Catherine Rose Young.