Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s marriage to Cheryl Hines has been under scrutiny, with reports suggesting that it narrowly avoided a scandal linked to his political ambitions. At 72, RFK Jr. has made headlines in 2024 after a journalist from New York magazine, Olivia Nuzzi, was placed on leave due to a “personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign,” which many believe refers to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The fallout from the Olivia Nuzzi scandal has raised questions about the stability of RFK Jr.’s personal life. Despite presenting a united front, the couple’s marriage reportedly faced significant strain. In her new book, RFK, Jr.: The Fall and Rise, investigative reporter Isabel Vincent claims that their relationship came close to breaking apart during this period.
“After the Olivia Nuzzi scandal, it was really played down, [as if] Cheryl Hines was in Europe and everything was okay. Everything was not okay. That was a really bad time,” Vincent said, according to an excerpt shared by People.
RFK Jr. reportedly tried to mend things with Hines, whom he married in 2014, feeling that he couldn’t afford another divorce while running for office. “That would have been his second divorce [filing]. Maybe because he felt that a lot of his supporters were more traditional about marriage so he did not want to have another divorce. But that was… almost the end of their marriage,” Vincent wrote.
Despite these challenges, the couple is still considered somewhat together. According to Vincent, “From what I understood, they’re somewhat together, but they’re not always together. She’s not accompanying him on every single thing he’s doing.”
RFK Jr. has had a complex marital history. He was first married to Emily Ruth Black from 1982 to 1994. He then married Mary Richardson Kennedy, but they divorced in 2010. Tragically, Mary committed suicide two years later.
Nuzzi, who is 33, revealed details about her alleged relationship with RFK Jr. in her book, American Canto, released in December 2025. She claimed that they fell in love and envisioned a future together. According to Nuzzi, “She said ‘I love you’ only after he said it first. He called her ‘Livvy’ and wrote her poems. He said he wanted her to have his baby. He promised to take a bullet for her.”
However, RFK Jr. has strongly denied these allegations. His representative stated, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece. 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.”
While the details of their relationship remain unclear, the impact of the scandal on RFK Jr.’s personal and political life is evident. As he continues to navigate his career, the dynamics between him and Hines remain a topic of interest.
The story highlights the delicate balance between public image and private life, especially for those in the spotlight. With ongoing speculation and revelations, the future of RFK Jr.’s personal relationships remains uncertain.
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