RFK Jr.'s Wife Cheryl Hines Makes It Clear She's Done Playing The Nice Girl Act

Cheryl Hines is tired of her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being the Kennedy family outcast, and she's done playing nice about it, as she's publicly called them out. 

Robert, who's been known to have a shady side, has been attached to many scandals that rocked his reputation over the years, including his endless touting of controversial conspiracy theories and seemingly complete aversion to science. Since Robert became the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, he's come under fire from several health professionals and groups, including former surgeon generals and psychiatrists.

Robert has also been openly criticized by members of his famous Kennedy family, who share differing political views, and the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" alum isn't happy that her in-laws have so openly opposed her husband about his health views. "It was hard. I found it to be hard," Hines said during an interview with CBS News. "I always thought the Kennedy family, one of their virtues was that family came first, and I admired that. So when some of his family decided to attack him publicly, it was disappointing." She also claimed that Robert's late mother didn't understand why their family, specifically his siblings, weren't supporting his political career, as she thought they would have been behind him 100 percent.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s family has spoken out against his health guidance for years, but September 2025 saw two of his family members — sister Kerry Kennedy and nephew Joseph P. Kennedy III. — separately, yet formally, call for his resignation as the United States Secretary of Human Services and warn others of his views. "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American," Joseph posted to his account on X, formerly known as Twitter (via PBS). "None of us will be spared the pain he is inflicting." Meanwhile, Kerry insisted that "medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership."

Robert isn't the only person who's been affected by the criticism launched his way, as he reportedly proposed extreme lengths to shield his wife, Cheryl Hines, from his political opposition. In an effort to protect her from feeling the fallout from his political decisions, Robert reportedly proposed that they pretend to separate in an effort to fix Hines' reputation. Obviously, she declined his offer, but that doesn't mean she didn't consider his stance a little. "I didn't understand what—how that was gonna help," said Hines during her CBS interview. "But I understood what he was talking about. I appreciated it."