RFK Jr's Private Diaries Handed Over as 'Insurance' Before Wife's Tragic Death
In a startling revelation, the second wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave his private diaries to a trusted friend just weeks before her death, viewing them as a form of "insurance" amid turbulent personal circumstances. According to investigative journalist Isabel Vincent's new report, Mary Kennedy, who was married to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, passed the journals to a confidant who "knew the family well" prior to her passing on May 16, 2012.
A Tragic End and a Calculated Decision
Mary Kennedy, mother to four of RFK Jr.'s children, was found deceased at age 52 in a barn at her Bedford, New York home. Her decision to transfer the diaries came after her divorce from the architect turned contentious, fueled by disputes over child custody and his involvement with current wife Cheryl Hines. Vincent told People that in her final moments, Mary saw the journals as "some kind of leverage," a poignant move reflecting her desperation.
The Mysterious Delivery and Explosive Contents
A year after Mary's death, a plastic shopping bag containing the politician's secret writings and a list of his sexual encounters appeared mysteriously on Vincent's chair at a Manhattan restaurant. The diaries, detailed by Vincent, include:
- Pages of RFK Jr.'s grief following his father's assassination, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy Sr.
- Reflections on his drug addiction, which he termed his "lust demons."
- A ranking of sexual experiences from one to ten, with the highest denoting intercourse.
In one entry, RFK Jr. wrote about his late father, who died nearly five years after President John F. Kennedy's assassination: "I knew Daddy was watching me and that he loved me, but I also felt I was disappointing him."
Vincent's Biography and RFK Jr.'s Reaction
These journal entries are central to Vincent's new biography, 'RFK, JR. : The Fall and Rise', which explores his life as part of America's political royalty and his conflicts with the Democratic party and family. While covering Mary's death for the New York Post, Vincent contacted RFK Jr., informing him she had seen his diaries. "I think it was September 2013, and I told him, 'I have seen your diaries and I wanted to ask you about these women'. And there was a silence on the phone," Vincent recalled. He responded with disbelief, threatening legal action, but nothing ensued.
Context of the Diaries and Marital Strife
RFK Jr. acknowledged the diaries on a 2023 Vlad TV podcast, addressing reports that Mary discovered through them he had "various sexual encounters with 37 different women" before her suicide. He described them as "my own way of trying to live and examine life" and a tool in his 43-year recovery from heroin addiction. According to Vincent's book, RFK Jr. kept the journals locked away, but Mary "put a lot of effort in getting that safe open" before handing them over.
Months before her death, a source claimed RFK Jr. gaslit Mary, dismissing her accusations about other women as fantasies. Vincent wrote that Mary delved deeply into the diaries, "trying to reassure herself that she had been married to a chronic philanderer for nearly 20 years." Despite this, she hoped to remain married, with a source noting, "It was the Kennedys or nobody."
Personal Life and Recent Controversies
RFK Jr. has been married three times: first to Emily Ruth Black, with whom he shares two children; then to Mary, mother of Conor, Kyra, William, and Aidan Kennedy; and currently to Cheryl Hines, married in August 2014 with no shared children. Recently, the couple faced a sexting scandal after reporter Olivia Nuzzi revealed an "emotionally involved" connection with RFK Jr. during his 2024 presidential campaign coverage, which he denied as inappropriate.
Vincent's biography, set for release on April 14 and available for preorder, offers an intimate look into RFK Jr.'s psyche. She stated that obtaining the diaries "helped me get into his head," adding, "People told me she was the love of his life. And Mary still occupies a very important part of his life, even though she’s dead." This revelation underscores the enduring impact of personal secrets in the public eye.
