Mary Richardson Kennedy
The intelligent, stunning, talented Mary Richardson Kennedy, mother of four, married to the most famous Kennedy man aside from JFK Jr., living in a million-dollar house she’d redesigned in the wealthy suburb of Bedford, New York, was now, in the spring of 2011, about to lose everything.
She could hardly get out of bed. On the days when she mustered enough energy to take the kids to school, she was frequently seen in ratty pajamas and her hair messy.
Other mothers would even remind her to pull herself together and that she was a Kennedy. But the reality was that in those moments, Mary would think: None of you could handle this life.
Bobby was never around. He didn’t have a job requiring travel but traveled all the time. When he was around, he’d take one or all of the children on some adventure and leave his wife behind.
She had become unwelcome despite hosting all the Fourth of July barbecues, dinner parties, and celebrity-studded fundraisers. And, of course, despite raising their children.
Mary had been seeing a therapist, sometimes alone, other times with her husband. And when Bobby asked for Mary to be diagnosed as mentally ill, the therapist refused, stating, “Your wife doesn’t have a mental illness.
She’s angry and depressed, but she’s not ill.” Mary often told others that the Kennedys could destroy her.
And by April 2012, actress Cheryl Hines was beginning to look like the next Mrs. RFK Jr., which meant that Bobby was making some merciless moves now.
He cut off Mary’s credit card, which was court-approved for $20,000 a month in living expenses. Her checking account had a zero balance.
She was no longer welcome at the Kennedy compound and was reduced to asking other moms at the school run if they had an extra $20 so she could get groceries and gas.
The whole town knew what was happening. In other words, Mary Kennedy, had been shut out from being American royalty.
On the morning of May 16, 2012, she got dressed, walked out to her barn, stacked three metal crates on top of each other, and then used a metal ladder to tie a rope around the rafter.
When she was found later that day, her fingers were stuck inside the rope around her neck. She ultimately tried to save herself.
Did you know about all these unfortunate lives the Kennedy curse might have impacted? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Meanwhile if you liked this article, we also recommend reading: Secrets of a Founding Father: 50 Facts About Benjamin Franklin
7 Comments
I can think of at least two others that could have been mentioned. One is fairly obvious: Mary Jo Kopechne. The other is columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, whose mysterious death was remarkably similar to Marilyn Monroe’s. Kilgallen was ready to have a book published about the JFK assassination, but after her death, all of her notes, transcripts and rough draft of the book mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again.
Do not want this crap on my phone again
I’m surprised that you didn’t mention the name of Mary Jo Kapechne, (sp)? who drowned in a car
accident driven by Edward Kennedy. Her drowning was mysterious. I’m sure there are more women, whose lives were ruined or adversely affected by this powerful family.
You left off several others. Ted Kennedy while driving after a party he was giving a girl a ride home he crashed his car is a River the girl died and he ran home. Also his wife became an alcoholic.
Joanne
Most of the Kennedy’s are dead. Let them rest in peace. Seems to me you’d be more interested in JFK’S death than his sex life.
You forgot Mary Jo Kopechne, the young lady who drowned on Chappaquiddick island in 1969 while in a car driven by Senator Ted Kennedy that overturned into a pond. The Senator got out alive but he left Mary Jo and didn’t report the accident until the next morning!
You left out my friend Martha Moxley!