What Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Six Children Are Doing Now
When it comes to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s relationship with the rest of the Kennedy family, for the most part (at least, of late), we tend to hear about his fractured ties to his siblings. However, he's also a father of six — and while we're not sure how they feel about the controversy he can't seem to shake, it certainly seems they've been pretty close over the years. One thing we're not quite as sure about? What RFK Jr.'s kids do.
Through his marriages to first wife, Emily Black and second wife, Mary Richardson, who tragically died in 2012, RFK Jr. has welcomed six children: with the former, Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy III and Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy; and with the latter, Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, William Finbar "Finn" Kennedy, and Aidan Kennedy. Over the years, many of the 2024 presidential hopeful's kids have dabbled in politics and climate activism, no doubt following the lead of their father. Many of them have also been involved in the entertainment business in some way.
Having said that, possibly what stands out most about RFK Jr.'s kids is that we don't always know what they're up to, even with their impressive connections and careers of their own. With that in mind, we're taking a look at the careers of RFK Jr.'s kids, in order of what we know.
Conor Kennedy fought in Ukraine
Undoubtedly the most public of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s kids is his second son, Conor Kennedy. Connor famously made the news back in 2012, when his romance with Taylor Swift was revealed. And, though Us Weekly reported that the pair split soon after, for a long time, he has continued to be almost synonymous with the singer. That is, until October 2022, when he got candid about his involvement in the war in Ukraine and revealed that he had served in the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine.
Conor made the announcement via Instagram. Noting that he was aware the story was set to break, he explained that he wanted to get ahead of the news and share why it had been so important for him to join the legion. "I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year ... When I heard about Ukraine's International Legion, I knew I was going, and I went to the embassy to enlist the next day," he wrote. Conor added that he'd joined up under a fake name.
As for what he's done in his time since returning stateside in late 2022, RFK Jr. told People that he was finishing his law school degree. And, asked about his thoughts on Conor going in the first place, the politician gushed that even if their views on the war differed, "I'm very proud of this. Of my son."
Bobby Kennedy III shifted from politics to filmmaking
Bobby Kennedy III never dated Taylor Swift, but he's made the news a few times. For starters, back in 2008, Bobby Kennedy III spoke to Teen Vogue about the fact-checking website he'd co-founded. Ameritocracy.com, he told the outlet, was aimed providing context to politicians' sound bites, so voters could get a full picture, sans bias.
Given just how widespread misinformation would become several years down the line, there's no denying that Bobby was onto something. However, at some point, the website was shut down, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s eldest son shifted into another industry entirely. In 2011, The Huffington Post ran a story about his play, "ELEW: Live from Infinity," which he joked had been partly inspired by the Dracula puppet musical that featured in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." The piece also noted that he'd filmed a movie not long before the play's opening night, which turned out to be the project he wrote and starred in, "Eurotrapped."
In the time since, Bobby has gone on to write, direct, and act in the 2021 "Fear and Loathing in Aspen," a biopic about Hunter S. Thompson, which included his stepmother, Cheryl Hines, in the cast. At the time of writing, he hasn't released any further projects, but it seems to be a matter of time. Speaking to the Independent in 2021, he shared that he was constantly working on new ideas. "It's nice to have some irons in the fire. It's a fun job," he said.
Kyra Kennedy is in the fashion business
Of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s children, there's no denying that Kyra Kennedy is the most frequently photographed. She's regularly seen at fashion events, and based on her Instagram, she has some pretty tight relationships with luxury houses like Versace, Gucci, and Fendi. Back in 2016, Harper's Bazaar also revealed that she was studying at the famed Fashion Institute of Technology. So, why so far down on the list? While it's clear Kyra is in fashion, what she does in the business isn't super clear.
Granted, that isn't particularly surprising. After all, back in 2015, she told DuJour that she was opposed to the idea of being on a reality show to promote her work. "I think that it's just selling yourself, and it's not an attractive look. I don't believe in it," she'd told the outlet. Even so, it's worth noting that even without a reality show, Kyra's job title is pretty tough to come by.
Luckily, we have her stepmom, Cheryl Hines to thank for even the tiniest snippet of knowledge. Taking to Facebook, Hines has previously credited Kyra as the stylist for a photoshoot for The Hollywood Reporter. TBD if that was a favor from the well-connected fashionista to her stepmother, or if she works as an under-the-radar stylist to many other stars, too.
Kick Kennedy is an actor, too
Bobby Kennedy III isn't the only one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s kids to have ventured into showbiz. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy has also been involved in a number of film and TV projects — and some have been incredibly high profile. Under the name Kick Kennedy, she's featured as a background actor in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," had a small role in "The Newsroom," and even made an appearance in a Season 4 episode of "Gossip Girl," introducing Chuck Bass at an event. However, while she shared in a 2012 interview with Town & Country that she'd enjoyed all of the experiences she'd had on camera, she certainly wasn't pushing for movie star status.
"I was born with a sticker — a name — that has made me totally uninterested in the fame factor of success," she told the outlet at the time. The youngest child of RFK Jr. and Emily Black added that the very idea of being well-known was enough to put her off. "I'm frightened of it, or at least uninterested, unamused," she shared.
It's not exactly surprising, then, that Kick has kept her current career status under wraps. That's not to say she's hiding away from the world, though. Far from it; her Instagram features images from high-profile events, like the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale wrap party in early 2024, and the 2021 Sustainable Style Awards. Hey, she's not vying for stardom, but she's still a Kennedy!
William and Aidan Kennedy aren't in the spotlight
While Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s older kids seem to make an effort to keep their careers and job descriptions to themselves, the politician's two youngest sons have taken that even further. In fact, when it comes to what William Kennedy and Aidan Kennedy do today, these are two celebrity kids we barely ever hear about.
Granted, RFK Jr.'s second-youngest son previously featured as an aquanaut in the 2017 "Sea of Hope" (billed as Finn Kennedy), and a year prior to that, his dad had taken to X (then Twitter), to gush about his decision to deliver a speech on climate change at the 2016 White House Innovation Summit. Finn would have been just 18 years old at the time. Even so, it's unclear if he's continued on that trajectory in more recent years.
As for the youngest, Aidan Kennedy, he's spent even less time in the public eye. In fact, other than his LinkedIn profile, there's very little information out there about him. Granted, he seems to be a pretty high achiever, with a number of internships in finance, law and even TV under his belt, all while studying at Harvard College. Perhaps, at some point, Aidan's career in one of those areas will lead to him becoming a public figure in his own right. However, if the approach of his older siblings is anything to go by, he may just want to stay low-key, too.