Last April, over 50 members of the Kennedy clan gathered to celebrate the 96th birthday of matriarch Ethel Kennedy, but the party was short-lived as it soon turned out to be the last vestige of Camelot. Just a few months later, Ethel passed away, and the family’s infighting intensified, exposed by her son Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearings.
Six of Ethel’s children with Robert F. Kennedy Sr. publicly rebuked their brother’s presidential campaign, calling it “dangerous” and endorsing Joe Biden. However, the family’s internal conflicts have been ongoing for decades. The feud between Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, and her cousin RFK Jr. has been brewing for years.
Caroline released a scathing letter to U.S. senators, criticizing RFK Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services, which included allegations that he has “misrepresented, lied, and cheated his way through life.” Her son, Jack Schlossberg, promoted the letter on social media, sparking a feud that has once again put the Kennedy family’s reputation in the spotlight.
The Kennedy family has long been plagued by infighting and personal scandals. RFK Jr. has faced criticism from his own siblings, who have accused him of promoting dangerous conspiracy theories and supporting vaccine misinformation. The division between the Kennedy family has been exacerbated by the feud between Caroline and RFK Jr., which has driven a wedge between the once-united family.
According to Laurence Leamer, author of “The Kennedy Women” and “The Kennedy Men,” “What we’re seeing is the self-destruction of the Kennedy family. For three generations, they were holding together against the world, and wouldn’t dare speak out against each other. That’s over.”
The portrait of a divided Kennedy family is a far cry from the Camelot era, when John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie epitomized the golden age of American politics. As the family’s infighting continues, it seems unlikely that the Kennedy’s once-fabled dynasty will ever recover its former glory.