Robert F Kennedy Jr. once told his second wife it was her own fault he had cheated on her at least 37 times with different women, newly surfaced audio recordings have revealed.
Kennedy, who was accused of multiple infidelities spanning a decade by Mary Richardson Kennedy, reportedly also claimed his actions were due to being “abused at home.”
According to outlet Mother Jones, who obtained the audio but has not released it due to the nature of some of the allegations, the comments were made by Kennedy during an argument in June 2011.
He had set up audio recording devices in their house during their divorce. The pair were married in 1994 and Kennedy filed for divorce in 2010. Richardson died by suicide in 2012.
“I want to be in a monogamous relationship. I don’t want to be in a polygamous relationship. I think that’s wrong,” Kennedy told her in 2011, Mother Jones reported.
“But then why have you done it for 10 years?” asked Richardson, who had found a diary listing 37 of her husband’s infidelities.
“I did it because I was being abused at home,” Kennedy reportedly replied on the audio.
The outlet reported that that specific conversation was one of 60 that had been made in secret by the nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services. At least one recording appeared to have been made when Kennedy was in California, a state that requires both parties to consent to a recording.
The Independent has reached out to Kennedy’s response to the report.
The Mother Jones report comes as Kennedy faced a grilling from senators on Wednesday, during his confirmation hearing, during which he was asked about his previous public anti-vax stance, and abortion.
His current wife, actress Cheryl Hines, joined him for the hearing.
On Tuesday Kennedy’s cousin Caroline Kennedy accused him of being “perverse” and a “predator” who is not qualified to serve as the country’s health secretary.
In a searing letter urging the Senate not to confirm her cousin, President John F Kennedy’s only surviving chil, blasted RFK Jr as a recovering heroin addict who had “gone on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life.”
“I’ve known Bobby my whole life. We grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets. Because Bobby himself is a predator today,” Kennedy said. “Bobby is addicted to attention and power.”
