A Look At Robert F. Kennedy's Grandson Conor's Legal Troubles

You may be familiar with the theory of the Kennedy family curse and the tragedies, trouble, and accidents that have revolved around that name and political dynasty. Well, people seem to think Conor Kennedy is a victim of the supposed curse, as he has had several legal troubles these past couple of years.

Conor is the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mary Kennedy, who tragically passed away due to suicide in 2012, per People. Although he comes from a famous family, Conor is most known for his former romance with musician Taylor Swift. The two had a brief connection during the summer of 2012 after the "Karma" singer was seen hanging out with Conor and the Kennedy family in Massachusetts in July, per Us Weekly. Just a month later, it was confirmed that the two decided to "officially" date. 

However, the romance would be practically shorter than one of Swift's songs because, by September 2012, the couple called it quits. The two reportedly stayed amicable after the breakup, which was due to the distance that the two faced.

Since their breakup, Conor has fallen relatively under the radar. But just a year after his split from the Grammy-winning musician, the young Kennedy began getting into legal trouble. His problems with the law only continued in the coming years, and we're here to fill you in on every time Conor was arrested.

There have been several celebrities who have been arrested while protesting for what they believe in, and Conor Kennedy was added to that list in 2013. Conor and his father Robert F. Kennedy Jr, along with several others, were arrested after "tying themselves to the White House gate," according to Page Six. If you're wondering what caused them to do such a thing, well, the Kennedys and fellow protestors were fighting against the Keystone XL pipeline.

For years, the Keystone XL pipeline has been a hot-button issue. In 2008, TC Energy — formerly TransCanada — proposed a pipeline to move fossil fuel and tar sands oil from Canada through the middle of the United States and to refineries in the Gulf Coast, per NRDC. The building of the pipeline raised controversy as many Americans and Native Americans were concerned over the effects a spill would have on their land, their people, and their animals, per National Geographic. It has also raised environmental concerns as a potential leak can have damaging effects on the planet, specifically in the U.S.

Although it was proposed in 2008, the back-and-forth debate over the pipeline has been going on for years, as recently as 2021. But back in 2013, Robert, an environmental activist, and Conor were protesting the continuation of the pipeline, per Page Six. All those arrested were charged with "failure to disperse and obey lawful orders" but were later released on a $100 bond.

Conor Kennedy's second arrest was much different and more violent than the first. In 2016, authorities were called to a bar in Aspen after customers refused to leave, per The Denver Post. When officials arrived, there were men fighting outside — one of them being Conor. The young Kennedy "tussled briefly" with authorities before he was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Not long after the incident, both Conor's father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Conor's lawyer alleged that the young Kennedy was provoked after his friend was called a homophobic slur, per People. "Like any father, I don't want to see my son fighting or involved with the police. But on the other hand, I'm proud that he stands up to bullies," Robert said. Conor's lawyer revealed that the public figure was ready to tell his story in court.

In February 2017, Conor ended up pleading guilty to the misdemeanor and was able to evade jail time, per People. However, Conor didn't get off the hook completely. The judge ordered that he be "given a six-month deferred sentence," and he had to avoid any trouble for those six months, otherwise he would face potential jail time. Not just that, but he was also ordered to "write an apology letter to the victim, pay a $500 fine, and abstain from drugs and alcohol for the six months." Since his second arrest, as of fall 2023, Conor has been able to avoid any further legal trouble.