Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s personal life has been anything but quiet. While Robert is known for his political activism and environmental work, his relationships have often made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
His second wife, Mary Kathleen Richardson, was found dead in May 2012, just two years after their 2010 divorce. She died by suicide, hanging herself in a building on her Bedford, New York property. In the years leading up to her death, reports surfaced about Kennedy’s multiple affairs, with those close to him calling him a “lifelong philanderer.”
But what about his first wife, Emily Ruth Black? Was their marriage just as tumultuous? Or was their story different? Let’s uncover the truth.
Also Read: Who Is RFK Jr.’s Third Wife? Are They Still Married?
Robert and Emily Met in College
Robert and Emily’s paths crossed at the University of Virginia Law School. There, Emily was a reserved Midwesterner from Bloomington, Indiana, focused on her studies. She wasn’t the type to chase the spotlight, but Robert? He lived in it.
Robert and his ex-wife Emily.Even back then, Kennedy had a reputation for being a womanizer. His charm and last name made him the center of attention, but behind the scenes, his personal life was already chaotic. Drugs, affairs, and reckless behavior followed him wherever, and Emily wasn’t immune to the fallout. Rumors swirled that the future politician cheated on her multiple times while they were still in school, yet the relationship carried on.
They Married in 1982
Robert and Emily tied the knot in a Protestant ceremony in her hometown, with 250 guests filling the First Christian Church, the same place where Emily had been baptized as a child. It was a classic Kennedy wedding—lavish, high-profile, and packed with political royalty. All ten of Robert’s siblings, his mother, Ethel Kennedy, and his uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, were in attendance.
Emily’s mother, Elizabeth Pawley, a schoolteacher, watched her daughter start this new chapter. But there was a quiet absence—her father had passed away when Black was merely two years old.
For a moment, it seemed like a perfect union, but the cracks showed fast. Less than two years later, Robert nearly died from a heroin overdose while en route to rehab in South Dakota. The drug was found in his carry-on bag, landing him a possession charge and community service.
Emily, ever hopeful, stood by him, believing her man could turn things around. But faith and patience weren’t enough. By 1992, the marriage had crumbled, and by 1994, it was officially over.
RFK Jr. Has Two Kids With His First Wife
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Emily Ruth Black’s decade-long marriage may have ended in 1994, but their time together brought two children into the world—Robert “Bobby” Kennedy III and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy.
Their firstborn, Robert Francis Kennedy III, arrived on September 2, 1984. Carrying the weight of a legendary name, the star kid was nicknamed Bobby early on.
While many expected him to follow the traditional Kennedy route into politics, Kennedy III, a Brown University graduate, forged his own path and co-founded Ameritocracy.com, a now-defunct platform designed to fact-check and filter political news in 2008. But it didn’t take long before Bobby pivoted to entertainment, writing and starring in Eurotrapped (2013) and making his directorial debut with ELEW: Live from Infinity, a one-act comedic play.
Four years after his birth, their second child, a daughter, Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy, known as Kick, was born on April 13, 1988. Unlike her father’s politically charged world, Kick was drawn to the stage. After high school, their daughter pursued history and theater at Stanford University and got her first taste of acting there.
By 2011, Kick had already landed roles—appearing in her stepmother Cheryl Hines’ show Curb Your Enthusiasm and even making a cameo as herself on Gossip Girl. Her passion for acting led her to train at the Lee Strasberg Institute, but over time, the former actress shifted her focus to humanitarian work.
