Should Robert F. Kennedy Jr. beat the odds in his bid for the presidency in 2024, the U.S. would welcome a familiar face as first lady in the form of actress Cheryl Hines.
In April, Kennedy Jr., a renowned anti-vaccine activist and environmental campaigner, revealed he's seeking the 2024 Democratic nomination. However, his substantial media coverage hasn't yet translated into polling gains, with recent surveys suggesting just 14 percent to 15 percent of likely Democratic primary voters want him as the party's candidate, per election statistics website FiveThirtyEight.
No major Democratic politician has announced they will challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination since the president announced in April that he would be seeking another term. Consequently, opposition is coming from more fringe figures within the party such as Kennedy Jr., son of the assassinated senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Despite running as a Democrat, Kennedy Jr. has gained the support of a number of conservatives. He has long been known as a vaccine skeptic, and has previously spoken out about his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
When Kennedy Jr. announced his presidential bid, Hines publicly expressed her support, saying in a statement, per People: "My husband, Robert Kennedy Jr. announced today he will be running for President and I support his decision."
"He is a fearless leader who understands the needs of the American people and has devoted his life fighting for democracy," she added of her husband.
As Kennedy Jr., 69, continues to make waves—and spark controversy—in his bid for the White House, the glamorous Hines, 57, could well provide some much-needed star power on the campaign trail as she steps out in support of her husband.
Newsweek has delved into details of the couple's relationship.
Larry David Connection
Hines tied the knot with Kennedy Jr. at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in August 2014—more than two years after she was introduced to him by her Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Larry David.
The ceremony marked the second marriage for Hines, who has a 19-year-old daughter, Catherine Rose, with her former husband, Paul Young, founder of the management firm Principato-Young. It was the third marriage for Kennedy Jr., who has two children with his first wife, Emily Black, and four children with his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy.
"It's fun that the two families are coming together," Hines told People in June 2014, weeks after her engagement to Kennedy Jr. was announced. "It's very sweet that way. I come from a big family and the Kennedys are a big family. It feels natural. It feels fun."
In a moment perhaps worthy of a scene in the classic HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hines' onscreen husband David expressed his disapproval of the pair dating after introducing them at a ski resort in Deer Valley, Utah.
"He introduced us—just because we were at the same event," Hines said of David during an August 2022 appearance on Alec Baldwin's podcast Here's the Thing.
Hines recounted how David didn't expect the introduction to lead to a romance. When the actress told the veteran comedian of her attraction to Kennedy Jr., she received a decidedly negative response.
"Larry was like, 'That's a terrible idea. No, no, no, don't get involved,'" she said. "Cut to—we've been married for eight years."
Hines also recounted the story during an appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show in late 2015.
Despite his purported comments, David was among the guests at the couple's wedding.
Condemning RFK Jr.'s Comments
While Hines is standing by her husband during his presidential run, she publicly condemned comments that he had made in January 2022. At a Washington rally, Kennedy Jr. suggested that things were worse for people in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic than they were for Anne Frank, the teen who died in a Nazi concentration camp.
"My husband's reference to Anne Frank at a mandate rally in D.C. was reprehensible and insensitive," she tweeted at the time. "The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything."
For his part, Kennedy Jr. issued an apology for his comments, writing on social media: "I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors. My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry."
The Associated Press reported that during the rally in question, held by Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine nonprofit group Children's Health Defense, the aspiring president said COVID-19 public health mandates were violating people's rights. He also charged that former Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci "was orchestrating fascism."
"Even in Hitler's Germany, you could you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did," said Kennedy.
Continued Controversy
Hines has so far largely shied away from weighing in on her husband's political takes, as he continues to make a series of controversial comments.
During appearance on Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson's podcast earlier in June, Kennedy Jr. said that chemicals in water have led to young people becoming transgender. The episode was subsequently pulled from YouTube.
A spokesperson for Google, YouTube's parent company, told Newsweek that the 95-minute podcast was removed for violating the platform's terms of service regarding vaccine misinformation.
YouTube's decision was criticized by Kennedy Jr. He shared Peterson's link to the full video on Twitter as he thanked the social media platform's owner Elon Musk.
"What do you think … Should social media platforms censor presidential candidates?" RFK Jr. wrote. "My conversation with @JordanBPeterson was deleted by @YouTube. Luckily you can watch it here on @Twitter (thank you @elonmusk)."
In another recent podcast with Joe Rogan, Kennedy Jr. lamented the apparent injuries that he was anecdotally aware of that he said had been caused by the vaccine.
Others have accused him of spreading disinformation about vaccines. Rogan has also faced boycott calls in reaction to Kennedy Jr.'s comments.
While anti-vaccine campaigners have pointed to cases of vaccinated people developing sudden and unexplained illnesses, health officials say that adverse effects of coronavirus vaccines have been found to be rare.
The World Health Organization says that vaccines are "very safe" and many of the adverse effects are minor. The most serious events occur in between one per thousand to one per million cases. The WHO adds that "so few deaths can plausibly be attributed to vaccines that it is hard to assess the risk statistically."
During her appearance on Baldwin's podcast last year, Hines said that she has had a hand in softening her husband's stance on certain issues.
"I think I've taught him to—I don't want to say lighten up," Hines said of Kennedy Jr. and his ardent "activism."
"Hopefully I'm teaching him to check it at the door. Like don't bring everything home. He's invested in so many heavy causes that it's like: 'Oh man.' Sometimes you just need to watch 30 Rock and get your mind off things."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
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