Joan Bennett Kennedy, Ex-Wife of Ted Kennedy, Dead at 89

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A former political staple has passed on.

Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of Senator Ted Kennedy, passed away on October 8th at her home in Boston. She was 89 years old.

Joan was born in 1936 and became well-known four years after marrying Ted, the brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. This happened as Ted started his own political career, beginning with his election to the U.S. Senate in 1962.

Despite enduring difficult times with him, including the assassinations of his brothers and the well-known 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1982. They had three children together: Ted Jr., 64, Patrick, 58, and Kara, who sadly passed away from a heart attack in 2011.

Joan, a talented classical pianist and member of the Kennedy family, was known for bravely speaking out about her alcoholism. She was one of the first well-known people to publicly share her experiences with addiction.

In a 1978 interview with *People* magazine, she explained that she sometimes drank to loosen up and feel more comfortable at social gatherings. At other times, she admitted, she turned to alcohol to cope with sadness and difficult emotions.

Joan struggled with maintaining her sobriety for many years, leading to four arrests for driving under the influence. Despite these setbacks, she never gave up trying to stay sober.

“It’s a struggle to stay sober,” she said in 1979. “But I’m sober today, and that’s what’s important. I’m taking my recovery one day at a time.”

Indeed, her candor left a mark not only on the American public, but also on her immediate family.

Ted Jr. shared that he deeply admires his mother’s ability to handle difficulties with poise, bravery, modesty, and sincerity. He also noted that she taught him the importance of self-awareness and that truly listening to others is a more effective way to communicate than speaking publicly.

Patrick also described his mother as a kind and caring person, as well as a gifted musician who greatly supported his father’s work in politics.

He shared that his mother was an inspiration to many people facing mental health challenges. He said she would be deeply missed by his family, the Boston arts scene, and everyone who knew her.

Keep reading for more on the Kennedy family.

Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on Oct. 7, 1914.

By 1932, Joseph P. Kennedy and his wife had nine children: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., John F. Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy.

Born July 25, 1915, Joe Jr. was going to be president, as far as his father was concerned.

He attended the 1940 Democratic National Convention and intended to run for Congress after his service in the Navy. Tragically, the 29-year-old and his co-pilot, Wilford John Willy, died on August 12, 1944. They were killed when explosives they were carrying exploded during a bombing mission as part of Operation Aphrodite.

It still breaks my heart to think about those two pilots. Despite extensive searches, their remains were never found. As a result, their names are forever etched onto the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery, a truly moving memorial to all those lost during World War II. It’s a solemn place, and I always make sure to pay my respects when I visit.

John, born on May 29, 1917, began his political career in Congress before becoming a U.S. Senator and, eventually, being elected president in 1960.

He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. They had two children: Caroline Kennedy, born November 27, 1957, and John F. Kennedy Jr., born November 25, 1960.

The couple tragically lost a daughter, Arabella, who was stillborn in 1956. Several years later, their son, Patrick, was born prematurely on August 7, 1963, but he sadly lived for only 39 hours.

JFK was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, one of the defining events of the 20th century.

As a longtime observer of interesting lives, I always find it fascinating to learn about people who balance career and personal life. Take Caroline Kennedy, for example. Many of you probably remember her as the U.S. ambassador to both Japan during the Obama years and, later, to Australia under the Biden administration. What some may not know is that she’s been happily married to Edwin “Ed” Schlossberg since 1986 – a lovely, enduring partnership!

Caroline and Edwin Schlossberg have three children: Rose Kennedy Schlossberg, born June 25, 1988; Tatiana Kennedy Schlossberg, born May 5, 1990; and John “Jack” Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, born January 19, 1993.

TV producer Rose went to Harvard like her mom and married restaurateur Rory McAuliffe in 2022.

Tatiana, a journalist, wrote a 2014 article for the *New York Times* about a bear found dead in Central Park—unaware that her cousin, RFK Jr., was involved. She graduated from Yale and married her college sweetheart, George Moran, in 2017. The couple had a son, Edwin Jr., in 2022.

Jack, a graduate of both Yale and Harvard (where he earned a law and business degree), gained attention for his engaging presence on social media. He spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and reported on the recent presidential election for *Vogue* magazine.

In a 2024 interview with *Vogue*, he shared that he’s motivated by his family’s history of helping others. He feels a strong responsibility to continue that tradition and wants to make a difference, both through his long-term goals and by making a positive impact right now.

 

Before marrying publicist Carolyn Bessette on September 21, 1996, the former first son was widely considered one of the world’s most desirable bachelors. He was even named *People* magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.

John F. Kennedy Jr. tragically died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, mirroring his father’s early death and devastating his family. He was traveling with his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, when the crash occurred.

Rosemary (at right, with sister Kathleen and mom Rose) was born Sept. 13, 1918.

Rosemary went to a boarding school for students who struggled with learning. However, she also had behavioral problems, and at age 23, her father authorized a prefrontal lobotomy in an attempt to address them.

Rosemary underwent an experimental treatment intended to address her mental illness, and while her father, Joe, had hoped for a positive outcome, the procedure left her severely disabled. She spent the remainder of her life, until January 7, 2005, living in an institution.

Rose later told historian Doris Kearns Goodwin that she’d always thought her daughter could have had a more relaxed life, fitting into the Kennedy family. However, everything changed—and was lost—in just a few minutes.

Born Feb. 20, 1920, Kathleen got a kick out of life, hence her jaunty nickname.

She married William Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington, in a London civil ceremony on May 6, 1944. Her mother disapproved of the match because he wasn’t Catholic, so only her brother, Joe Jr., attended the wedding.

A month later, William, a major in the British Army, was killed by a sniper in Belgium.

She stayed in England and became romantically involved with William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, who was married at the time. Tragically, both of them died in a plane crash on May 13, 1948, while traveling to the French Riviera, before he could finalize a divorce.

Eunice was born July 10, 1921.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a passionate advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and the creator of the Special Olympics, wed Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. on May 23, 1953.

They had five children: Robert “Bobby” Shriver III (born April 28, 1954), Maria Shriver (born November 6, 1955), Timothy (born August 29, 1959), Mark (born February 17, 1964), and Anthony (born July 20, 1965).

Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger on April 26, 1986, at the Kennedy family estate in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were the governor and first lady of California from November 2003 to January 2011. Their marriage ended shortly after Arnold revealed he had a son, Joseph Baena, with their family’s housekeeper.

Eunice passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind 19 grandchildren. This included Maria Shriver’s four children from her previous marriage: Katherine (born December 13, 1989), Patrick (born September 18, 1993), Christina (born July 23, 1991), and Christopher (born September 27, 1997).

Katherine married Chris Pratt on June 8, 2019, and they have three children together: Lyla (born August 6, 2020), Eloise (born May 21, 2022), and Ford (born November 8, 2024). Chris also has a son, Jack (born August 17, 2012), from his previous marriage to Anna Faris.

Patricia, who was born on May 6, 1924, became connected to the famous Rat Pack when she married Peter Lawford on April 24, 1954.

She and her British actor husband had four children: Christopher Lawford (born 1955), Sydney Maleia Lawford (1956), Victoria Francis Lawford (1958), and Robin Elizabeth Lawford, before their divorce in 1966.

Peter, who passed away in 1984, was a close friend and advisor to his brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy. He’s widely believed to be the one who first introduced JFK to Marilyn Monroe when she visited the home of his sister and her husband in Malibu.

Patricia died in 2006. Her son, Christopher, who had been married three times, passed away in 2018 after a heart attack.

The son known familiarly to the whole country as Bobby Kennedy married Ethel Skakel on June 17, 1950.

They had a large family, with eleven children named Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, and Rory.

Ethel was expecting Rory when Bobby was tragically killed by a gunshot on June 6, 1968, just after winning the California Democratic primary election.

David Kennedy tragically died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984, at just 28 years old. Years later, his brother Michael Kennedy died in a skiing accident on December 31, 1997, while on a family vacation in Aspen, Colorado. He was 37 and had three children with his wife, Victoria Gifford.

Ethel Kennedy experienced the loss of her husband when her oldest child was just 16 years old. Despite this, she lived a long life and became a grandmother to 34 grandchildren. Sadly, she also outlived two of them: 22-year-old Saoirse Hill, who died in 2019 from an accidental drug overdose, and her 40-year-old granddaughter, Maeve Kennedy McKean, who died in a canoeing accident in 2020. Saoirse was the daughter of Courtney Hill and Paul Hill, while Maeve was the daughter of Kathleen Townsend and David Townsend.

RFK Jr., born Jan. 17, 1954, is a thrice-married father of six.

He and his first wife, Emily Black, have two children: Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy III (born in 1984) and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy (born in 1988).

They divorced in 1994 after 12 years of marriage. 

RFK III has been married to CIA analyst turned author and TV host Amaryllis Fox since 2017.

The couple have three children: a daughter named Bobby, born January 7, 2019, a son named Cassius Watts Thoreau Kennedy, born August 30, 2021, and Amaryllis’ daughter Zoë from a previous relationship.

 

In a 2012 interview with *Town & Country*, the Stanford graduate explained their belief that life is simply a series of experiences, both positive and negative, and that a richer life comes from having more of them.

After Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck in August 2024, simply being seen with Ben Affleck – even just a casual acquaintance, according to one source – quickly made Kick Kennedy a popular topic online.

A representative for Ben Affleck immediately denied rumors of a romantic relationship, telling TopMob News that reports about him and Kick are false.

So nothing about being a Kennedy had really changed in a decade. Or a century.

I often get asked what it’s like growing up as a Kennedy,” she explained to *Town & Country*. “Honestly, I don’t really know. It feels strange to see my face or name in the tabloids—it makes me anxious. It doesn’t feel like *me*; it feels like reading about someone else entirely.”

Despite never meeting her, she felt a connection to the great-aunt she was named after, who had passed away long before her father was even born.

“It’s funny how similar we are,” Kick mused. “She was fun and social and a performer in many ways.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. married Mary Richardson in 1994, and they had four children together. Their children are Conor Richardson Kennedy (born July 25, 1994), Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy (born August 22, 1995), William Finbar “Finn” Kennedy (born November 8, 1997), and Aidan Caohman Vieques Kennedy (born July 13, 2001).

The couple were legally separated when Mary died by suicide in 2012.

Father and sons: Conor, Aidan and RFK III.

Despite achieving sudden fame at 18 as a Harvard student – and famously introducing Taylor Swift to his family – Conor has generally kept a relatively private life, even with his activism and other notable activities.

Their relationship didn’t last long – just a few months. Conor eventually went on to study law at Georgetown and earned his degree, but the story still made the news.

“Taylor Swift’s ex Conor Kennedy” is now engaged to singer Giulia Be.

Kyra, a regular among the high-fashion set, lives in Milan.

In a video released on August 27, 2024, in collaboration with *Elle* and Bvlgari, she revealed she’s developing a project to honor her mother’s memory.

In a recent interview, she reflected on a major life change, asking if she felt like a new person. She confirmed that she did, explaining that she was very different as a child than she is now as a young adult – she’s completely transformed.

RFK Jr. married Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines in 2014.

The actress shares daughter Catherine Young (born March 8, 2004) with ex-husband Paul Young. 

In a 2018 Father’s Day Instagram post, Kick thanked her dad for giving her her many siblings, jokingly calling them ‘wacky’.

Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s seventh child has three daughters with her former husband, Andrew Cuomo: twins Mariah and Cara Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1995), and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1997).

Kerry and Andrew married in 1990, but their relationship ended after a separation in 2003 and a divorce finalized in 2005. Andrew served as the governor of New York from 2011 to 2021.

Born on February 20, 1928, as the eighth of nine children to Joe and Rose, Jean Kennedy founded the VSA Kennedy Arts Center and later served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.

She married Stephen Edward Smith, who worked as a strategist for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, on May 19, 1956. Together, they had four children: sons Stephen Smith Jr. and William Smith, and daughters Amanda Smith and Kym Smith.

Jean died June 17, 2020, having outlived all of her siblings.

Senator Ted Kennedy, known for his personal controversies, had three children with his first wife, Joan Bennett: Kara Kennedy (born February 27, 1960), Edward Kennedy Jr. (born September 26, 1961), and Patrick Kennedy II (born July 14, 1967).

He and Joan divorced in 1982 after 24 years of marriage and he wed Victoria Reggie in 1992.

Kara passed away from a heart attack on September 16, 2011, two years after the death of her father. Joan died on October 8, 2025.

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2025-10-08 18:49