E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Michael Dwyer / AP
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and his children turn away after paying their respects at the casket of Mary Richardson Kennedy in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville, Mass., on May 19.
The family of the late Mary Richardson Kennedy is responding to explosive accusations about her behavior made by her husband and revealed in a court affidavit from the Kennedys’ divorce case.
In the September 2011 documents, obtained by Newsweek for a magazine article published Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed his wife beat him, threatened suicide in front of her children, ran over the family dog and drank until she passed out.
It asked a judge for an order of protection to keep her from physically attacking him, showing up uninvited at his homes and denigrating him to their children. Kennedy, son of Sen. Robert. F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, also asked that his wife be required to remain sober in front of their children.
“Mary’s violence and physical abuse toward me began before we were married,” Robert Kennedy said in the affidavit. “She said she intended to kill herself unless I called off the divorce.”
The relatives of Mary Kennedy slammed Kennedy's account of their relationship, saying it is “full of vindictive lies” and a “brutal psychological weapon in the divorce case,” according to a statement released by Kerry Lawrence, the lawyer for Mary Kennedy and the Richardson family.
AP Photot / Westchester County District Attorney's Office, File
Mary Richardson Kennedy is shown in a police photo after she was arrested in a drunken driving case.
“This latest piling on is proof perfect of the unbelievable emotional and psychological abuse that Mary endured during the last years of her life, and now in death,” Lawrence said.
According to the court documents, Robert Kennedy said that just a year after the couple were separated, “Mary ran over and killed the dog, Porcia, in the driveway.” And when he went over to the house, “Mary was intoxicated. I opened the door and she leapt out of her bed and hit me with a roundhouse punch.”
Robert Kennedy also says Mary screamed at him in front of their son, saying, “everything he does is evil and a fraud. He is a philanderer, an adulterer, a sex addict.”
“She drank heavily,” Laurence Learner, a respected Kennedy biographer and author of the Newsweek article told NBC News. “Because of her drinking, her children were taken away from her. What was left? She had nothing. Her identity as a Kennedy was finished.”
A judge granted Robert Kennedy full but temporary custody of their four children.
Mary Kennedy hanged herself last month at the family’s estate in Bedford, N.Y. The divorce was pending. Robert Kennedy delivered the eulogy at her funeral. Her death followed two difficult years, during which her husband filed for divorce and she was charged twice with driving while intoxicated.
“Our hearts are breaking for what her children continue to witness,” the Richardson family statement said. “We hoped Mary could rest in peace.”
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- McQueary testifies 'no doubt' he saw Sandusky having sex with boy
- Miami face-eating attack victim awake and talking, doctors say
- Border Patrol agents accused of sex act at Cirque du Soleil
- Coast Guard believes NJ yacht explosion was 'hoax'
- Video: Man with no hands banned from roller coaster
Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
My heart goes out to the family. I know all to well this type of behavior. It sounds like Mary was Bipolar. I lived with a bipolar. My first wife was bipolar and my oldest daughter is also bipolar. Suicide is prevalent among those individuals. May God rest her soul and be with both families.
Clearly she had her issues, but I'm sure that being married into such a prominent family did not help. (In other words, I'd be self-medicating as well if I married a Kennedy.)
Or you could have been drowned, been raped, hit over the head with a golf club, paralyzed, cheated on ... take your pick; the Kennedy men are not known for their good behavior. It would be interesting to know if she had a prior history of mental problems. What a nasty thing to say -- "she had nothing without her identity as a Kennedy." Typical of a Kennedy minion to say. God bless her; hopefully her male children will exhibit a healthy dose of Richardson and NOT Kennedy.
I just read NewsWeek's account of Mary Kennedy's suicide. The article is called Behind Mary Kennedy's suicide. What she had was Borderline Personality Disorder, not Bipolar Disorder.
The day we can "wrap up" a diagnosis as one thing OR another, is the day "all of our problems disappear"...
Anyone that thinks "mental illness" is a simple diagnosis, and can be treated by a quick "pill" here or there, is sadly mistaken...
Yeah well I would really like to know how here drinking and drug use got started. I bet bet it was because of RFK Jr. Well lets see in 1983, he was arrested in a Rapid City South Dakota Airport for heroin possession after being found unconscious in an airplane bathroom with a needle stuck into his arm, a search of his carry-on bag uncovered 183 milligrams of heroin. Upon entering a
plea of guilty, Kennedy, then 30 years old was sentenced to two years probation, periodic tests for
drug use, treatment by joining Narcotics Anonymous, and 1,500 hours of community service.
So here we have another Kennedy caught in the process of a felony and he gets probation and some community service. I would bet his comm service did not consist of working at the city/county dump or some other hard/dirty labor.
So now he blames everything on her and it was most likely him that got her using in the first place. It's just to bad as Mary would or may have been better off without him.(meaning never getting together with him) She had her talents as a well known architect with a major firm along with other things.
It's also a shame as some of the Kennedys are nice folks but some of them are just pricks. I had met them as I used to sit right behind them at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Hyannis, MA. Then Kennedys had a few rows that were always reserved for them. I had met JFK Jr when we where both young kids, he had commented that he had wished he could do things that the other kids did like crabbing, clamming and such
Kennedys - another bunch of jerks who thought rules do apply only to others.
What is also sad is that this Arse is now trying to make a buck of off his families grief. He was soooo worried about his kids and keeping them away from her and now he writes or oks this. What does he think this will do to his kids, deep down he does not give two shlts. The "Kennedy Curse" took the wrong one here. I hope the children can find some solace in all of this.
I've known women who behave like that. As much as people don't want to believe it, these things do occur. The kids know if it's true or not.
Her fingers were caught in the rope. Maybe someone was trying to hang her and she tried to save herself but was too sedated with the 3 antidepressant shoved down her throat.
Someone wanted to get rid of her for a very good reason.
Sad, it does sound like bi-polar, and self medicating with alcohol...too bad our society makes mental illness such a taboo!
Very sweet sentiments, Joe-- every now and then you come across good people on these boards. Bravo.
I was married to a Bipolar also.
Only the immediate family knows the hell it causes. Been 20 years since I lived with her....still bothers me....and yes, she was abusive. But nobody else believed it.....
FormerCARes: I believe you. My ex-sister-in-law was a witch. She had horrible episodes where she would throw my brother's things around, hitting him, hurting him, destroying his things and trying to destroy him. She went on to abuse drugs with many different men, having children from different men, getting on welfare. She's doing better these days, but she was forced to get clean and support herself.
I think Robert Kennedy Jr.'s a turd. A Kennedy that's an adulterer, philanderer, a sex addict. More than likely he mentally abused her. I can't imagine trying to divorce a Kennedy and all the power they have.
Kennedys are tough on their women.
That's right ... why is everyone going with the Kennedy version of the story? Given their history, I absolutely believe her when she said that he was a philanderer. What credentials do all you arm-chair psychiatrists have to diagnose her mental condition?
Maybe the multiple DUI arrests?
It's got to be hard to be married to a sex addict and have any self worth. Besides the whole "Kennedy" identity is such BS. Multiple - 2? He probably broke her heart, I've read she really loved him and was hurt, that they weren't even divorced - why was he dating if he was such a good Catholic? I hope she is at peace now, and I hope her kids are able to NOT be like the other Kennedy men.
She also had an affair with him and he left his first wife for her. What does that make her? They didn't mention that in the story did they.
It isn't like she was a paragon of virtue from the start and was tormented into bad behavior. I say screwing a married man makes you pretty low.
What about the man, he was a married man with children and he did the same.
Been there--I don't KNOW Bobby Jr. to know if he was such a 'turd'. I DO know that Mary was his SECOND wife, and I'll lay odds they were having an affair BEFORE he divorced his first wife, which to me makes here just as guilty as he was.
His faith, and hers, are only known to them, but she ALREADY married a divorced man. I never heard ANY account of any Kennedy man who mistreated their kids tho--exactly the opposite.
I think it is facetious to blame ONE person in nearly any divorce.
Could someone tell me if he is the son of Ted Kennedy?
Jean, I think you need to either read the article or work on your reading comprehension. The first big clue is his name is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. The second big clue is the fourth sentence in the article which says, "...son of Robert F. Kennedy...".
Huh? WTF? We're suppose to read the article, and then make comments?
Interesting concept!
What a classy gal!
If she was truly bipolar, then her family is living in denial and blaming the wrong person(s). I also had a bipolar brother-in-law, and my sister-in-law finally had to file for divorce to protect herself and her two children. It is a disease that is actually difficult to control (daily monitoring of the drugs used to "control" the mood swings, etc.) and puts the people closest to the bp in a constant state of turmoil. I'm surprised RFK, Jr. didn't fill for divorce sooner.
What this poor woman had to endure being married to a Kennedy. The outcome should come as no surprise.
This whole situation is sad. I have a few friends who are bi-polar and once they hit that low point, there is really nothing you can do to reason with them. They stop listening and are fueled with nothing but self loathing and hate. They will drag you down with them if you are not careful. But it's real hard to say if Mary Kennedy was bi-polar without documentation stating such. Right now it's he said/she said thing. A lot of accusations and no real evidence to support what people are claiming regarding her medical problems. I do think Robert F. Kennedy Jr is in the wrong to continue on with claims instead of letting the issue go so their kids can try to heal without all the drama wrapped up in who did what and who was responsible for the events leading up to Mary Kennedy's death.
State of Awareness: I'm not sure Robert Kennedy, Jr., did anything, based on this quote from the article:
If you know where to look, you can find most any document filed in Court.
Ah, I misread. For whatever reason I read it as something he said recently. My bad.
It is so sad for the children. I don´t blame Robert for what he declared to the court. Alcoholics does a lot of damages and they don´t admit when they are wrong. If I was a family member of this alcoholic, I would probably just not say so much. Robert was not exempted from those who extremely suffered here. Mary was so sick and am sorry.
Yes, poor dear Robert should know all about alcoholics; he learned it all at Ted Kennedy's knee.
I also had a sister who had a terrible drinking problem with mood swings. Her husband and children suffered brutally. It was so bad at times I had the opportunity to move from Ma. and live in Fl. took it and ran. I always felt bad I left the kids and him to deal with this terrible situation. After that I really don't do well with people who abuse alcohol or drugs. She also attacked him physically and her family members. I was one of her victims one night. It was terrible. she has died since. My she rest in peace
The poor woman is dead, what ever demons she had she is now in peace...pretty easy to talk about the mother of your kids when she isn't around to defend herself
VH Navy--I hate to disagree with you, but what do you think Bobby has to gain now from falsely bad mouthing the dead mother of his kids?
On the other hand, alcoholism DOES tend to run in families, and I think (?) the tendency to bi-polar does too, in which case, her kids need to understand both that they are at risk and that their mom did have a physical illness that may have caused her to behave in a way they might not understand.
NO amount of sugar coating on the part of Mary's family will ease the distress for those children, so they need to buck up and support the only remaining parent their grandkids have left.
As a former sister of an alcoholic I can perfectly understand where Bobbie Kennedy is coming from. My oldest sisters husband suffered in shame and constant fear of the abuse this woman could do. Not only physical but also leave scars mentally that will never heal. My heart goes out to this family. My sister has passed due to alcohol and we do miss her as she was when this terrible addiction took her from us.
I had a mother who was bipolar--if that was indeed Mary's illness. They can be wonderful one day and terribly abusive and off the wall the next. They also tend toward alcohol and drug abuse which compounds the problem. My dad hung in there and tried to keep us together, despite her being in and out of hospitals and barely functional when she was home. It took a tremendous toll on her children, and each and every one of us suffer still from the abuse and dsyfunction. My dad should have took us kids and left, protected us from her abberrant behavior, the public embarrassments, the physical abuse. If Mary was bipolar and wouldn't take her meds and if she compounded her behaviorproblems with alcohol, then RFK jr. was more than right in protecting the kids. He was courageous.
I'm sorry she's dead. I truly am. But, if you're dead how do you suffer emotional and psychological abuse? Lawyers...
Have you considered the term, "Rest in Peace?" I'm guessing her family is suffering terribly over the fact that this elitist idiot (Kennedy) is allowed to expose her so publicly when she is now unable to defend herself! What an unmitigated, immoral CAD!!
Linda, the article was based on a court affidavit, filed in Sept. 2011. while she was alive, obviously, and R. Kennedy did not recently bring this info to the public's attention. Therefore, your comment about exposing her when she is now unable to protect herself is in error, he filed a document in 2011. That's why I say be careful not to judge or jump to conclusions.
And the purpose of this article??? Digusting that Newsweek felt the need to obtain divorce proceeding records to sell a magazine.. The woman is dead, let her rest in peace.
my sentiments as well.....so many people have problems of this nature...many of the Kennedys. NEWSWEEK's function is to seek out the dirt on the most famous of these people, and SELL it. Guess who's on for sloppy seconds in this game? NBC.
I find it amazing that in Kennedy's affidavit he claims that Mary was physically abusive prior to their marriage (i.e. permanently damaged his tear duct when she smacked him with her engagement ring). Wouldn't that automatically pose the question: If this were true, what kind of idiot would place himself into that environment? What did he have to gain by marriage to someone prone to that sort of violent behavior? He sounds like a typical Kennedy cry baby; grow up, Bobby Jr! The Kennedy glory days are over!
I think it's great for people to look at the harm alcohol is doing to people, as well as the problems faced by the mentally ill, so I'm not trying to criticize anyone for that. However, it sounds like, judging from these comments, alcoholism and bipolar are pretty common. Therefore, why are we judging the Kennedys, for a problem that is endemic to our population? Even if Robert Kennedy was unfaithful, that is also a pretty common problem, judging by the newspapers, so, again, why focus on them? Families cause their own pain and turmoil, show some mercy!
Sounds like he married one of his cousins...
Wow, some people just LOVE to spout dirt. Go read your pile of National Enquirers
“Mary’s violence and physical abuse toward me began before we were married,” Robert Kennedy said in the affidavit.
Then, why the hell did he marry her ! Two non-persons destined for ----.
What I see here is she may of been bipolar but I believe that she was an extremely jealous woman. I know what jealousy does to a person. they strike out, scream, yell everything they can think of to hurt the one she want's. probably if she had some weed she would of mellowed out.
My guess is she would beat the crap out of him after finding out about another affair. Yes, she could have been mentally ill as well, but that family sure would have had the resources to get her properly medicated. What a sad family they are...bad luck and at other times bad choices.
Someone tell me please.. Is he the son of Ted Kennedy?
NO Jean. He is the son of Bobby and Ethel K.
No... Jean-982597 He is not the son of Ted Kennedy. He is the son of Robert F. Kennedy. I believe every word of what he said. Her history backs him up...with her drinking and driving arrests, other mental health issues and her actually killing herself after he did not call off the divorce (as he alleged she had threatened) I believe she was one sick person. I feel sorry for her children but not for her. She had the means to get help and chose not to do so. How do you feel sorry for someone who refuses to help themselves?
Both people in this relationship chose the dysfunction...she chose to marry a Kennedy and he chose to marry an abuser. Since she is dead (also her choice) the media need to let the topic die with her. Let her children and family mourn in private. For those condemning him...he didn't release this info Newsweek did (the shame is theirs). For those condemning her...she was an alcoholic who chose to take her own life. Let the family be.