Cheryl Hines is opening up about the strained relationships within the Kennedy family. Following criticism of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after his endorsement of President Donald Trump, Hines, 60, shared insights into her husband’s dynamic with his relatives.
“It’s a big family,” Hines shared on December 9th’s episode of NewsNation’s *Elizabeth Vargas Reports*. “There are a lot of Kennedys, and, you know, they all have different relationships with each other and different relationships with Bobby.” She continued, “It was a difficult time. I know some of them were involved in the Biden administration or working in that administration, and I understood that, but I was really disappointed to see a few of them so disrespectfully criticize Bobby.”
When host Elizabeth Vargas inquired about her feelings regarding the Kennedy family’s support (or lack thereof) for her husband, Hines replied, “Sometimes, yes.”
The rift began in August 2024 when multiple Kennedy family members denounced Robert’s endorsement of Trump, 79. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy, and Rory Kennedy issued a statement saying, “Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values our father and our family hold most dear. It’s a sad ending to a sad story.”
Trump later won the presidency, appointing Robert, 71, as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In her new memoir, *Unscripted*, Hines revealed her reaction to the criticism. “I found myself feeling sorry for them, that they were choosing politics over family. I realized they weren’t who I thought they were.”
Caroline Kennedy and her children, Jack and Tatiana Schlossberg, have also voiced their disagreements with Robert. Following Tatiana’s terminal cancer diagnosis, she wrote, “Throughout my treatment, he had been on the national stage: previously a Democrat, he was running for President as an Independent. But mostly as an embarrassment to me and the rest of my immediate family.”
Despite the family’s disagreements, Hines has remained a staunch supporter of her husband. She previously shared insights into her marriage, emphasizing the importance of connection. “There has to be a connection,” she told *Us Weekly* in October 2024. “There’s, like, a connection that you look at your husband or your partner and all the crazy going on around you, or you look and you check in and it’s like, ‘OK. It’s going to be OK. We’re going to move through this moment.’ And, you know, a lot of times it’s funny and you can lean over and say, ‘This is crazy balls,’ and have a moment together and then hold your head up high and go to the next thing.”
*Elizabeth Vargas Reports* airs on NewsNation weeknights at 7 p.m. ET.