Jacqueline Kennedy believed in the Kennedy curse.
After the assassinations of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, and then her brother-in-law, Robert F. Kennedy, five years later, she lived in constant fear for her children, Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., believing no one in the family was safe.
Even though she died at the relatively young age of 64 from lymphoma in 1994, the beloved former First Lady found peace knowing her children seemed to have overcome the most difficult challenges in their lives.
A series of devastating losses, including the unexpected deaths of John in 1999 and, more recently, Tatiana Schlossberg, Caroline Kennedy’s 35-year-old daughter, from cancer, have fueled ongoing discussion about a supposed Kennedy family curse – the idea that they suffer from more than just bad luck, but a persistent presence of tragedy.
And members of the family have processed the ongoing conversation in their own ways.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, John F. Kennedy’s sister, once explained that the troubles facing her family weren’t necessarily due to bad luck, but rather their inability to cope with hardship in private.
She explained, according to J. Randy Taraborrelli’s 2019 book, The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline and the New Generation, that living such a public life lacked dignity, especially for her children. However, she felt this was a challenge the Kennedy family had faced for many years, and if there was a family curse, that was likely it.
And yet tragedy continues to run rampant.
It was with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Saoirse Kennedy Hill in August of 2019. As the only child of Courtney Kennedy Hill, she was just 22 years old. Sadly, Saoirse’s death was due to a drug overdose, and it happened at the family’s home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts – a place that holds so much history for the Kennedy family. This tragedy, unfortunately, isn’t new to the Kennedys, as substance abuse and mental health challenges have impacted the family before. It’s a heartbreaking reminder that these struggles can affect anyone, regardless of background.
On April 2, 2020, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, a mother of three and the daughter of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, went missing with her 8-year-old son, Gideon, while canoeing in Chesapeake Bay. Their bodies were recovered a few days later.
Considering how large the Kennedy family is, it’s perhaps not surprising they’ve experienced a lot of loss, but it often feels like they’ve had more than their share of tragedy.
Two of Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s nine children faced tragic early deaths: Joseph Jr., who was initially favored to carry on the family’s ambitions, and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, both of whom died in plane crashes during the 1940s. Their eldest daughter, Rose Marie, underwent a lobotomy at age 23 and lived in an institution for the rest of her life, passing away in 2005.
Jackie Kennedy experienced the devastating loss of her husband, and the questions surrounding his assassination will likely continue to be debated for generations. Thankfully, she didn’t live to see the tragic death of her son and his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who died in a plane crash five years after her own passing.
Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert Kennedy, experienced significant personal tragedy, including the loss of her parents and a brother in separate plane crashes. She was expecting her eleventh child when her husband was assassinated in 1968. Later, her son David Kennedy died from a drug overdose in 1984, and another son, Michael Kennedy, tragically died in a skiing accident in 1997.
It’s truly amazing that Ethel continued to find the good in the world and live her life with that belief.
It’s just…weird, you know? Having your most personal stuff splashed all over the headlines. But honestly, it also made us feel…connected. Like we weren’t going through anything alone. It’s like we were all in this together, the Kennedys and the American people. We felt their support, and I really think they felt connected to us, to what we were going through. It was a strange kind of closeness, but it was always there.
It’s true, no matter how old you are, you have never lived in a world without Kennedy influence.
As someone who’s observed a lot of different lives, I’ve noticed it’s easy to slip when you’re born into a position of advantage – incredible opportunities and influence can be tempting. It really requires constant self-awareness and accountability. We all make mistakes, it’s part of being human. Some of us stumble, and others, like myself, have had to learn some tough lessons along the way.
Two years later, her cousin John and Carolyn crashed en route to her wedding in Hyannis Port.
Youngest son of Rose and Joe Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, also hoped to become president. However, his ambitions were severely impacted when a car accident on Chappaquiddick Island in July 1969 resulted in the death of 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, and he was the driver.
Ted admitted to leaving the scene of an accident, even though he wasn’t at fault, and was given a two-month suspended jail sentence. He then announced to the public that he would resign from his position if that’s what his constituents desired.
He won seven more elections and continued serving as a U.S. Senator until he passed away from brain cancer in 2009, at the age of 77.
Ted Kennedy acknowledged his family had faced many difficulties, but emphasized their resilience came from their strength and compassion – qualities he believed were most important.
His daughter, Kara Kennedy, a lung cancer survivor, remembered a comment one of her cousins made years ago: “We don’t have to worry about problems. We’re Kennedys.”
According to Taraborrelli, she declared, “I won’t become another victim of what people call the ‘Kennedy curse.’ I’m putting an end to it, right here and now.”
Kara died of a heart attack in 2011 when she was 51.
In 1991, William Kennedy Smith, son of Jean Kennedy Smith and Stephen E. Smith, was found not guilty of sexual battery. He had been accused of raping a woman at the family’s Palm Beach estate. According to the New York Times, Smith then told reporters that he felt grateful to both the legal system and to God, stating he had a strong faith in both.
William’s trial unexpectedly led investigators to revisit the 1975 murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley in Greenwich, Connecticut. There was speculation – which ultimately proved false – that William had been at the home of his cousins, Thomas and Michael Skakel – nephews of Ethel Kennedy – on the night Martha was killed. She was beaten to death with a golf club near her home.
In a book proposal that was never published, Michael reportedly described the Skakel family as suffering from long-term problems including illness and alcoholism, combined with strict and restrictive views on morality and sexuality, according to the Hartford Courant. He believed these issues led to deep-seated problems and, at times, severe dysfunction within the family.
He believed this problematic behavior was simply the cost of having wealth and power in a culture obsessed with idealized stories rather than reality.
He described their connection to the Kennedys – solidified when his aunt Ethel married Robert – as a complicated mix of love and dislike. After Martha’s death, he said, their home life became even more chaotic.
Both Michael and Tommy were questioned when investigators first looked into Martha’s death, but Michael was ultimately charged with murder in 2000.
According to his cousin, Douglas Kennedy – Robert Kennedy’s tenth child – Michael is a remarkably honest and caring person. Douglas told People magazine that Michael genuinely cares about others more than anyone he knows, and he’s certain Michael couldn’t be involved in whatever is happening.
Michael, then 41, was found guilty of murder in 2002 and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said his cousin helped him overcome addiction in 1983, wrote in The Atlantic in 2003 that he deeply cares for Michael. He stated that if Michael had done something wrong, he would have spoken out against him, but he believes Michael is innocent.
Everyone kept asking me why I’d stick my neck out for him, like it was going to ruin my reputation! But honestly, it has nothing to do with family or anything like that. I just know he’s innocent, and I have to support him because of that. It’s not about loyalty, it’s about truth!
Michael received a new trial in 2013 after arguing his original lawyer hadn’t provided adequate representation, and he was released on a $1.2 million bond. However, the legal proceedings continued for years. The Connecticut Supreme Court first upheld his conviction in 2016, then overturned it two years later in 2018.
In a 2018 interview with NBC News, Martha’s mother, Dorthy Moxley, shared that she was 43 when her daughter was killed and is now approaching her 86th birthday. She reflected that she’s lived with the pain for half her life and believes she can continue to cope with it for the rest of her days.
Prosecutors announced in 2020 that they would not retry the case.
RFK Jr. isn’t afraid to express unpopular opinions, and in his 2016 book, Framed: Why Michael Skakel Spent a Decade in Prison for a Murder He Didn’t Commit, he defended his cousin, arguing that Michael Skakel was wrongly convicted.
As the 50th anniversary of his father’s assassination neared in 2018, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requested a new investigation, believing Sirhan Sirhan—who is in prison for life for the murder—may not have been the actual shooter. He told the Washington Post in May 2018 that he visited Sirhan because he was both curious and troubled by the evidence he’d reviewed.
Honestly, after I got my hands on the autopsy report, it just… hit me. I couldn’t just ignore it, you know? It really bothered me – the thought that they might have convicted the wrong person for my father’s murder. It’s been eating at me ever since.
In 2018, his sister, Rory, shared with The Guardian that she continued to grieve their father’s passing, experiencing feelings of pain, sorrow, and sadness.
She explained that dealing with difficult experiences is just part of life, something she’s learned over time. She’s also developed ways to cope with those experiences and use them to better understand what others are going through. When you see someone else hurting, you can connect with their pain because of your own experiences.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now married to Cheryl Hines, experienced a personal tragedy when his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, died by suicide in May 2012. This occurred just one day after she was charged with driving under the influence, and three days after Robert filed for divorce.
Taraborelli learned from her friend, Alyssa Chapman, that Mary had a pointed take on the so-called ‘Kennedy curse.’ According to Mary, the problem wasn’t bad luck, but rather that the Kennedy men were unfaithful and the women were naive.
Okay, so the buzz is still going – Caroline Kennedy’s son, Jack Schlossberg, is officially entering the race for Congress here in New York! It’s definitely one to watch, and I’m seeing a lot of interest in his campaign already.
Kerry Kennedy, sister of Robert Kennedy Jr., explained to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli that she believes Americans feel a unique connection to her family. She attributes this partly to empathy, but also to a shared understanding of the human experience. This conversation occurred after she was acquitted in 2014 of charges related to a 2012 driving incident.
Everyone faces difficulties in life,” she said. “If sharing how I’ve handled my own challenges can offer some comfort or help to others, that would be wonderful. I truly believe that, and my family feels the same way.
As John F. Kennedy Jr. famously said when he started his magazine, George, in 1995, “Family is what matters. The Kennedys will always be scrutinized, but ultimately, we’re all just people trying to connect and make sense of life together. That’s really all there is to it.”
Read on for a guide to all the Kennedy siblings and kids:
Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on Oct. 7, 1914.
By 1932, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. 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.
A promising young politician, he attended the 1940 Democratic National Convention and intended to run for Congress after his Navy service. Tragically, he and his co-pilot, Wilford John Willy, died on August 12, 1944. They were killed when explosives they were transporting detonated too early during a bombing mission as part of Operation Aphrodite.
I’ve always been deeply moved by the story of those two pilots. Sadly, neither of their bodies was ever found. Their names are etched onto the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery, a permanent tribute to all those lost during World War II. It’s a somber place, but it feels important to remember their sacrifice.
John, born on May 29, 1917, began his political career in Congress before becoming a U.S. Senator and, eventually, winning the presidency 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 experienced the heartbreaking loss of a daughter, Arabella, who was stillborn in 1956. Several years later, in 1963, their son, Patrick, was born prematurely on August 7th but sadly lived for only 39 hours.
JFK was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, one of the defining events of the 20th century.
Caroline served as the U.S. ambassador to both Japan during President Obama’s time in office and Australia under President Biden. She married Edwin “Ed” Schlossberg in 1986.
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, later discovered a surprising connection to a 2014 New York Times article she wrote about a bear found dead in Central Park – it involved her cousin, RFK Jr. She graduated from Yale and married her college boyfriend, George Moran, in 2017. They have two children: a son, Edwin Jr., born in 2022, and a daughter born in 2024.
I was heartbroken to read that Tatiana passed away on December 30th, at just 35 years old. She bravely shared in an essay for The New Yorker back in November 2025 that she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and sadly, her doctors told her it was terminal. Her writing was so powerful, and I, like so many others, will miss her greatly.
Jack, a graduate of both Yale and Harvard’s combined law and business school, gained attention for his lively presence on social media. He recently spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and reported on the latest presidential election for Vogue magazine.
In a 2024 interview with Vogue, he shared that he’s motivated by his family’s history of working for the public good. He feels a strong sense of responsibility to carry on that tradition and wants to find his own way to make a difference, focusing on both long-term goals and immediate positive change.
Jack plans to run for Congress, having announced in November 2025 that he’ll be campaigning to represent New York’s 12th district.
Before marrying Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, on September 21, 1996, the former first son was widely considered one of the most desirable bachelors in the world. He had even been 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 bringing renewed grief to his family. He was flying with his wife, Carolyn Bessette, 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.
I just… I can’t even talk about it without getting upset. Rosemary… she went into that procedure, they said it could fix things, you know, help her with… everything. Joe, her father, he really, truly believed it would. But it didn’t. It ruined her. She came out… completely disabled. And she spent the rest of her life – all the way until January 7th, 2005 – in an institution. It just breaks my heart to think about it. It was supposed to help her.
I always thought she could have had a wonderful life, maybe a bit more relaxed, if she’d stayed within the Kennedy world. But looking back, it’s heartbreaking to realize how quickly everything changed – it all vanished in just minutes, as she later told Doris Kearns Goodwin.
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 simple London 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.
Oh my gosh, Eunice and Sargent Shriver had five incredible children! There’s Bobby, born April 28th, 1954, and then Maria, my absolute favorite, born November 6th, 1955. And don’t forget Timothy, born August 29th, 1959, followed by Mark on February 17th, 1964, and finally, the wonderful Anthony, born July 20th, 1965. They’re all just amazing!
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. However, 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 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), with his former wife, Anna Faris.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by how people create their worlds, and Patricia’s story is a great example. Born in 1924, she really stepped into a glamorous world when she married Peter Lawford in 1954 – suddenly, she was part of the inner circle of the famous Rat Pack! It was a marriage that brought a lot of excitement and celebrity into her life.
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 marriage ended in divorce in 1966.
Peter, who passed away in 1984, was a close friend to his brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy. He’s often remembered for introducing JFK to Marilyn Monroe when she visited the Lawford family’s home 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 – reports indicate he collided with a tree while skiing and playing football. Michael Kennedy 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, but she later became a grandmother to 34 grandchildren. Sadly, she has 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, and Maeve was the daughter of Kathleen Kennedy 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 Kennedy III (born in 1984) and Kathleen 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 view that life is simply a series of experiences—both positive and negative—and that the more experiences one has, the richer life becomes.
After Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck in August 2024, simply being seen with him—even just a casual acquaintance, according to one source—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 to be a Kennedy,” she explained to Town & Country. “Honestly, I don’t know how to answer. It feels strange seeing my name or face in the tabloids—it makes me anxious, like I’m reading about someone else, not the real me.
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: 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.
Oh my gosh, she actually said it! She was asked if she felt like she’d been reborn, and she totally agreed! She said she was one person as a little girl, but becoming a young adult completely changed her – a total 180! It’s like she’s describing a whole new life, and honestly, I feel it too when I watch her. It’s amazing!
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 Instagram post for Father’s Day, Kick thanked her dad for giving her so many ‘wacky’ siblings.
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).
As a lifestyle observer, I remember when Kerry and Andrew first married back in 1990. It was quite a romance! Sadly, things shifted over time, and they separated in 2003. Eventually, after a period of trying to make things work, they divorced in 2005. Andrew, as many of you know, also served as Governor of New York for a decade, 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.
Oh my gosh, she married Stephen Edward Smith – can you believe it? He was actually part of JFK’s campaign team! It was May 19th, 1956, and it felt like a fairytale. They had the most beautiful family – four kids! Stephen Jr. and William were their sons, and then their precious daughters, Amanda and Kym. I’ve followed their family for years, and they were just perfect together!
Jean died June 17, 2020, having outlived all of her siblings.
Senator Ted Kennedy 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.
This story was originally published on June 6, 2019, at 3 a.m. Pacific Time and has been updated since, most recently on November 1, 2019, at 12:55 p.m. Pacific Time.
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