NEW YORK (NewsNation) — Actress Cheryl Hines, best known for her role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” spoke with NewsNation about navigating life as the wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while promoting her new book “Unscripted.”
Hines, who has been married to Kennedy for over a decade, said she never anticipated her husband’s political career when they wed. Kennedy, formerly an environmental attorney, told her he had no desire to enter politics.
“I asked him, you know, if he ever wanted to go into politics, had he ever thought of it, and at the time, he was an environmental attorney, and he said that he didn’t have a desire,” Hines said on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.“
“So I was like, great. We’re going to get along great. And then he went into politics. Then he decided to run for president.”
The actress described experiencing significant backlash, particularly on social media, since Kennedy entered politics. She said Democrats have been especially critical compared to Republicans.
Cheryl Hines on if husband RFK Jr. will run for president in 2028
“Even when Bobby was running, I mean, he started out running as a Democrat, and the Democrats were … not happy, because he was running against Biden,” Hines said. “It did not feel like a character assassination every day” from Republicans, she added.
Hines, a formerly registered Democrat who said she cried when President Donald Trump won in 2016, acknowledged the dramatic shift in her life. She said about 90% of people who approach Kennedy in public are supportive, though online harassment remains an issue.
When asked if Kennedy would run for president in 2028, Hines said no, but she acknowledged her husband has surprised her before.
Cheryl Hines on political shift, backlash after RFK Jr. joined Trump
Hines said she broke out in hives and required emergency medical treatment after meeting Trump following the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Hines described the July 2024 encounter at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as extraordinarily stressful. Trump had been shot days earlier and still wore a bandage on his ear during the meeting.
“When I saw him, you realize how close it came to his temple,” Hines told Vargas. “I don’t know the stress and then the stress that now we’re sitting here with President Trump and now we’re talking about the future and what’s gonna happen. And I think it just was a lot for my nervous system.”
Hines said she felt the hives forming during the meeting and later that night sought treatment at an emergency room when her lips swelled. When a doctor asked if she was under unusual stress, she replied affirmatively.
The actress had accompanied Kennedy to Milwaukee while he was still running as an independent presidential candidate. Trump had reached out to Kennedy the night of the assassination attempt, and Kennedy wanted to meet with him before the convention.
During that meeting, Trump posted on social media that Kennedy should receive Secret Service protection. Kennedy had been operating with private security despite concerns about his safety given his family history and threats he had received.
Cheryl Hines describes strained ties with Kennedy family over politics
Hines also addressed strained relationships with Kennedy family members who publicly criticized her husband after he endorsed Trump. Several Kennedy relatives had condemned the endorsement and Kennedy’s work on vaccines.
“I was really, really disappointed to see a few of them really speak so disrespectfully about Bobby,” Hines said. “I’ve really loved them through the years and still love them, but I can’t help but think of some of them differently because I didn’t respect what they did.”
The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star confirmed she has not spoken to longtime co-star Larry David since last year. David, who introduced Hines to Kennedy, has not contacted her since Kennedy joined the Trump administration.
“I know, because I think he’s mad,” Hines said when asked why they haven’t spoken. She said she would be happy to see David if they crossed paths but believes he is upset about the political situation.
Hines also recounted being publicly criticized on social media by actor Bradley Whitford, who accused her of “staying silent about your lunatic husband.” Bill Maher defended her, saying, “Not even the mafia goes after the wife.”
“To wake up and see like posts really coming at me was so strange to me,” Hines said of Whitford’s comments. She said she has learned to discern which criticisms deserve attention and which should be ignored.