Despite ongoing controversy surrounding RFK Jr.'s alleged relationship with a younger journalist, he and his wife came together on Oct. 16 to honor the late Kennedy matriarch.
Cheryl Hines, 59, was seen holding hands with Kennedy, 70, as they arrived at his mother Ethel's memorial service on Wednesday, Oct. 16, following her recent death at age 96. Hines is showing up for her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at a difficult time despite rumors that he engaged in a "personal relationship" with a political journalist.
The celebration of life, held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., drew many notable attendees, including Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Martin Luther King III; and singers Kenny Chesney, Sting and Stevie Wonder. RFK Jr. was not listed as a speaker on the program.
In September, Kennedy's relationship to Hines took the spotlight when a sexting scandal unfolded allegedly involving the former presidential candidate and political reporter Olivia Nuzzi. Weeks after the controversy arose, a source close to Hines told PEOPLE that the Curb Your Enthusiasm actress “has been talking about filing for divorce, but he's begging her not to file.” Another source added that the pair “barely spoke” in the two weeks following the news.
Despite the earlier split rumors, Hines is seemingly supporting Kennedy, whom she has been married to since 2014.
Ethel Kennedy's Legacy
Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy and the mother of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is being memorialized in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, with the eulogy delivered by President Biden. Former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton also spoke at the service, which is being held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. The human rights advocate, mother and grandmother died in her sleep earlier this month after a stroke. She was 96.
Obama called her a “big dose in a small package,” and a “spitfire from a young age.” She was passionate about everything, Obama said, from juvenile justice reform to civil rights.
“As serious as Ethel was about righting wrongs, she never seemed to take herself too seriously,” Obama said.
Clinton called her an “amazing fireball with continuous energy.”
“I thought your mother was the cat’s meow,” Clinton said of Ethel Kennedy.
Ethel Kennedy had not only political stars at her memorial service, but musical ones. Stevie Wonder and Kenny Chesney performed in her honor.
The matriarch of the storied Kennedy family is survived by nine children, 34 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Her grandson, Joe Kennedy III, said she was a “strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life.”
Members of the Kennedy family gathered Monday for her funeral in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Mr. Biden has praised Ethel Kennedy for her resilience and determination.
“Ethel Kennedy was an American icon—a matriarch of optimism and moral courage, an emblem of resilience and service,” Mr. Biden said in a statement after her death. “Devoted to family and country, she had a spine of steel and a heart of gold that inspired millions of Americans, including me and Jill. We were blessed to call her a dear friend.”
Ethel Kennedy, who had 11 children, raised them after her husband was assassinated in 1968 during his presidential campaign. Her son, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was running for president in 2024 as an independent, but he suspended his campaign in August and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
A Life Marked by Tragedy and Triumph
Born on April 11, 1928, Ethel Kennedy suffered a number of tragedies in her long life. In 1955, both of her parents died when their private plane crashed. Her son, David Kennedy, died of a drug overdose at 28. Another son, Michael Kennedy, was killed in a skiing accident at 39. And both her husband and her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, were assassinated.
She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation in October 1968, shortly after her husband's assassination. The foundation, which Ethel Kennedy dedicated her life to, continues to champion human rights globally.
The Alleged Relationship with Olivia Nuzzi
Since posting the tribute to his mother, new details about Kennedy's alleged relationship with the 31-year-old journalist have emerged in a court dispute between Nuzzi and her ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza. In the court filings, Lizza reportedly claimed that after he learned about Nuzzi and Kennedy's alleged fling, she asserted that Kennedy wanted to “control,” “possess,” and “impregnate” her. Lizza, 50, the chief Washington correspondent for Politico, also stated that Nuzzi described the relationship as “toxic,” “unhealthy,” “stupid,” “psychotic,” “crazy,” and “indefensible,” acknowledging the “huge power disparity” between her and Kennedy, according to CNN.
A spokesperson for Kennedy told PEOPLE, “The accusations about Robert Kennedy are categorically false and he will not participate in reporting on triple hearsay allegations made in a dispute between other people.”
A Complex Family Dynamic
Despite the political and personal turbulence surrounding RFK Jr., his mother's passing brought together members of the Kennedy family. This gathering, a poignant moment of unity in a family known for both its triumphs and tragedies, highlights the enduring impact of Ethel Kennedy's legacy.
In a statement on X posted Tuesday night by her daughter Kerry Kennedy, the family said it happened Thursday morning in her sleep and that she was brought to a hospital where she was receiving treatment and resting comfortably. They did not identify the hospital, nor where she suffered the stroke.
“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible and she is surrounded by family,” the statement said. “She is, as you know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are looking after her.”
For a generation of Americans, the Democratic Party clan represented the closest thing the U.S. had to the royalty it has always admired elsewhere. The JFK era was dubbed “Camelot” because the youthful president and his glamorous wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, evoked a sense of national optimism, expressed in a line from the Broadway musical.
Ethel Kennedy's life, like that of many of her family members, was marked by a series of tragedies. Her father, George Skakel, a wealthy coal magnate, and mother, Ann Skakel, were killed in an airplane accident in 1955. Her brother died in a plane crash in 1966. Her son David died in 1984 from an accidental drug overdose, and another son Michael died in a skiing accident in 1997. Her granddaughter Saoirse Kennedy Hill died of an accidental overdose in 2019, and another granddaughter, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, drowned with her 8-year old son in a canoe accident in 2020.
A Legacy of Activism and Resilience
Ethel Kennedy’s life, marked by both immense tragedy and remarkable resilience, is a testament to the power of human spirit. Her dedication to social justice and human rights served as a powerful example for generations. Ethel Kennedy's enduring legacy will be remembered not only through her family name but also through her unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.
She was by Robert F. Kennedy’s side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, just after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California. Her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated in Dallas less than five years earlier.
The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which she founded later in 1968, is dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation, advocacy, education and inspiration. The nonprofit also gives annual awards to journalists, authors and others who have made a significant contribution to human rights. She also was active in the Coalition of Gun Control, Special Olympics and the Earth Conservation Corps.
She remained socially active into her 90s, participating in a 2016 demonstration in support of higher pay for farmworkers in Florida and a 2018 hunger strike against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. She divided her time between homes in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.
A Family Remembered
In a poignant statement, President Joe Biden called Ethel Kennedy an “American icon — a matriarch of optimism and moral courage, an emblem of resilience and service. Devoted to family and country, she had a spine of steel and a heart of gold that inspired millions of Americans, including me and Jill. We were blessed to call her a dear friend.”
While the Kennedy family has experienced more than its share of heartache, its members have also demonstrated incredible strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to public service. Ethel Kennedy's legacy will continue to inspire future generations to strive for a more just and equitable world.
