The Kennedy Curse
A phenomenon known as the Kennedy curse plagues the Kennedys. At first glance, they seem like a picture-perfect family involved with politics, including notorious members such as John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But, after digging deeper into their family history, you notice something suspicious; their family is riddled with mysterious deaths and mental health issues, often covered up by the public. Now, in this issue of Untitled Journals, I’ll be discussing the Kennedy curse.
President John F. Kennedy was the most famous member of the Kennedy clan; he was the first Catholic president and the youngest president in office. JFK was an optimistic man who carved a new generation of Americans; he inflicted peace and prosperity in the US. An alleged affair with famous 50s actress Marilyn Monroe tarnished his reputation—she famously sang him a birthday tune on May 19, 1962. November 22, 1963, is an unforgettable day, as it marks the day JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. While riding in a motorcade with his wife Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Kennedy Onassis, Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie Connally, in Dealey Plaza, Texas, he was fatally shot in the back of the head and only 30 minutes later pronounced dead in Parkland Memorial Hospital. Connally was also shot, though not to the extent of death, just injury. Lee Harvey Oswald, a US Marine who served in the Philippines and Japan, was later identified as the shooter. Oswald was arrested for the murder of JFK and police officer J.D. Tippit—who he shot only 45 minutes after JFK’s assassination.
Although JFK was the most famous death among the Kennedy family, the first was his older brother Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., who served in the Navy during WW2—as a naval aviator. During WW2 he was part of a mission called “Operation Aphrodite,” where the plan was to release explosives in a radio-controlled B-17 bomber over a German V-2 rocket launching site in Normandy, France; he and his co-pilot were to signal the explosives and then parachute before the explosion. Sadly, the explosive was released too early, killing both his co-pilot and him; the wreckage was found in a village called Blythburgh in Suffolk, England. He was honored with the Air Medal and Navy Cross due to his heroism in this event. Originally his parents had big plans for him; they wanted him to be president of the US. Before joining the Navy, he was in his last year at Harvard Law and attended a prep school called Choate School, or Choate Rosemary Hall, in Wallingford, Connecticut. His father originally didn’t want his sons to serve in the war but saw it brought opportunities for them. He was also a delegate at the Democratic National Conference (DNC). Although he had been set up for great success, he died in honor of his country in 1944.
Not a death but a hidden tragedy in the family was the lobotomy of Rosemary (Rose Marie) Kennedy. Born September 13th, 1918, she had an unknown learning disability that made her walk and talk later than her brothers. While her father Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was the ambassador to England she lived in London, living a normal life documenting events and people in her diary, but as soon as they moved back to the US in 1940 she slowly started to deteriorate. Family members described her as irritable and difficult, also describing violent mood swings. Her family had finally decided on a lobotomy as they believed it would calm her down, but instead, it led to her being unable to take care of herself and incapacitated. She was sent to St. Coletta’s School for Exceptional Children in Jefferson, Wisconsin, where she spent the rest of her life. She passed away on January 7, 2005, at just 86 years old. She was hidden from the public due to her brothers' political careers as they believed this would leave a stain on their campaigns.
Planes seem to be a major theme in the Kennedy Curse. Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy (Lady Hartington) was born on February 20, 1920. She met her husband, William “Billy” Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington, during her first trip to England in 1938. Her husband also passed away in the same year as her eldest brother due to a German sniper shooting him in WW2. Kathleen died in a plane crash in France. Who’s another member of the Kennedy clan who famously died in a plane crash? John F. Kennedy Jr. “John-John,” of course, the only son of JFK, was piloting a plane with his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette. They crashed near the coast of Martha's Vineyard due to spatial disorientation—when one isn't able to determine the true body, motion, and altitude of the earth or the plane's surroundings. A family member had reported them missing after they didn't arrive at Hyannis Port. US Navy divers recovered their bodies from the underwater wreckage of their plane on July 31st, 1999. John-John lived a private life, although people started gaining interest in him when he opened for his uncle Ted Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). People followed his journey through law school and even criticized him for failing the bar exam twice. The media loved him, watching his romances with different women, but he privately got married to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. JFK Jr. even started his own political magazine named “George” which failed in 2001 after his death. Although John-John was JFK’s oldest son he wasn’t the only one, previously JFK had a son named Patrick Bouvier Kennedy who died 2 days after his birth due to infant respiratory distress syndrome, and also had a daughter named Arabella Kennedy who died at birth.
Robert F. Kennedy, one of the most famous Kennedys, wasn’t safe from the Kennedy curse. Although he was a successful politician—not close to his brother, though—he had some mishaps in his life. He was the senator for New York in 1964 and the 64th attorney general (1961-1964) and decided to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. For this campaign, he went to the West Coast, specifically San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. During his stay on the West Coast, Kennedy found out he had won the nomination; in the spur of the moment, Kennedy decided to make a speech in the ballroom of the hotel where he was staying—The Ambassador Hotel Palm Beach. On his way out, the hallway passage crowded with supporters and staff—shaking their hands—a man later identified as Sirhan Sirhan, a Lebanese national, came in front of him and shot him, hitting close to his head and body, also shooting his company—injuring five others. Kennedy died a day later at Good Samaritan Hospital; his body was flown back to New York to be buried near his brother JFK. On the day of his assassination, he was enjoying the beach with his children. Kennedy was an impactful and great man standing for what he believed in. He fought for the rights of African Americans and was very effective in his way of instating his beliefs into the government. His son RFK Jr. proves to be nothing like his father; in my personal opinion, he’s just a sellout to Trump’s administration. I’d say listening to Caroline Kennedy’s (JFK’s daughter) words against him reveals a lot about this man.
The Kennedys have gone through many hardships in their lives, some of them being unable to beat these; one of them being David A. Kennedy (1955-1984), son of RFK. It was known he was struggling for a while after his father's death—being addicted to drugs like heroin and also alcohol. At just 28 years old, he was found dead in his hotel room due to a drug overdose. He wasn’t the only Kennedy found dead due to a drug overdose; Saoirse Kennedy Hill, another child of RFK, accidentally overdosed at the Kennedy Compound on August 1st, 2019. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, another son of RFK, died in an unforeseen skiing accident on December 31st, 1997; he had accidentally crashed into a tree while in Aspen, Colorado. Now the most recent death in the Kennedy family only happened 5 years ago on April 2nd, 2020; Maeve Kennedy McKean and her son went missing on a canoe trip at Chesapeake Bay. The family erupted into panic, having the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the United States Coast Guard searching for them by boat and helicopter. They were discovered on April 6th, apparently drowning due to chilly and turbulent waters.
That finishes it for this issue on the Kennedy curse. Do you believe it’s real or that it’s just a simple coincidence? In my belief, I think there might be some curse causing such premature and unnatural deaths in this family. Another question for you: Who’s your favorite Kennedy? Mine has got to be Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s only grandson. Hope you enjoyed this issue of Untitled Journals—because I know it’s long looking at the Google Doc right now, and it’s 1500+ words crazy. Well, bye!
—Untitled Journals issue 5