Getty/Leigh Vogel/RFK Human Rights
Only last week, Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from husband Ben Affleck after what felt like one of the longest and most hotly anticipated breakups in history.
Now, Ben Affleck seems to have confirmed suspicions that he’s the archetypal terrible ex-boyfriend. He’s already been linked to a new woman. There’s nothing trendier than a millennial Kennedy right now, and rumours are that Affleck is hard-launching his divorce arc with Kennedy by his side.
Both J.Lo fans clutching their pears and the simply nosey amongst us woke up this morning and wondered, “Who is Kathleen ‘Kick’ Kennedy”? Here at marie claire we classify ourselves as both the former and the latter, so we did some digging.
According to People, Ben Affleck was spotted with Kathleen Kennedy, the 36-year-old granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., just seven days after his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, filed for divorce.
In Ben’s defence, Lopez listed their separation date as April 26th, so while it’s shock news to some, Affleck could feasibly have been licking his wounds for months before venturing back on the dating market. We’ll leave you to decide whether you give him the benefit of the doubt.
In the meantime, we’ve gone into an internet wormhole investigating the fascinating Kathleen ‘Kick ‘Kennedy, there’s plenty of fun to be found.
Are Ben Affleck And Kick Kennedy Dating?
As we speculate as to whether Ben Affleck is moving on too fast, People don’t seem to be able to confirm if Ben Affleck and Kick Kennedy are dating at all.
One of the many sources from Affleck’s camp told People: “Kick and Ben have been spending time together, but I’m not sure what’s happening.”
But then they divulged: “Kick’s celeb crush has always been Ben.” Born in 1998 Kick came of age when Affleck was in his Armageddon prime, so we can’t blame her.
Celebrity crush or no, another insider jumped in to pour water on the gossip mill, saying, “I don’t think they [Kick Kennedy and Ben Affleck] even know each other. There’s definitely nothing going on” (they clearly hadn’t seen Armageddon). More sources have contacted TMZ to assure the general public that Affleck and Kennedy are “not dating” and “definitely not a couple.” There’s a wiff of protesting too much about the whole thing, and another source told People that Affleck and Kennedy had been spending time together since late spring, shortly after he and Lopez broke up, while Page Six had them spotted together at the Beverly Hills hotel.
So, Who Is Kick Kennedy?
She Has A Complicated Family
Kick Kennedy is one of eccentric politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s six children. Robert F. Kennedy is JKF’s nephew and a once-presidential hopeful, the recently thwarted presidential hopeful and environmental lawyer is currently in hot water for endorsing Donald Trump. He has also marred his reputation by spreading conspiracy theories about vaccines, talking about having a worm in his brain and leaving a dead bear in a park (along with a slew of other animal-related rumours).
Kick Kennedy and her older brother, Robert ‘Bobby’ Kennedy III, were born during their father’s marriage to his first wife Emily Ruth Black. Their four younger half-siblings, including Taylor Swift’s ex-Conor Kennedy, are shared with their father’s second wife, Mary Kathleen Richardson. Richardson died while divorcing RFK Jr., and Kick’s dad is now married to Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Mary Kathleen Richardson.
Why Is Kick Kennedy’s Name Kick?
Kick got her jaunty nickname from her great-aunt Kathleen Kennedy, who was JFK’s younger sister. Kick the older outraged her family by marrying an Anglican (the Kennedys were Catholic). Her husband was a marquess and heir to the 10th Duke of Devonshire – because when it comes to the Kennedys, nobody in their network is actually a nobody — but this made no difference.
When Kick died in a plane crash in 1948, her mother skipped the funeral. Kick the younger told Town&Country, “I got fascinated by Kick a few years ago, and it’s funny how similar we are. She was fun and social and a performer in many ways,” she explained. She added that she didn’t think her parents would consider it “divine retribution” if she died in a plane crash, however.
What Does Kick Kennedy Do In Her Spare Time?
The answer is lots. Kick majored in history at Stanford and then dipped into acting, studying at the Lee Strasberg Institute in West Hollywood. She made TV appearances on Gossip Girl, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Newsroom and an off-Broadway production of Antigone.
In 2012 she told Town&County that thanks to her family’s high profile, she was ambivalent about fame. “I was born with a sticker – a name – that has made me totally uninterested in the fame factor of success. I see all my actor friends really going for it in that way because it’s such a big part of the job, but it kind of turns me off. I’m frightened of it or at least uninterested, unamused.” This might have held her back as an actor; according to Vanity Fair, she now works at an art gallery called False Flag.
Kick Kennedy Is An Activist
Kick Kennedy is an activist. Like her father, she’s interested in clean energy and environmental issues. According to a 2012 profile in Town&Country, she’s championed the nonprofit Waterkeeper and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro with actors Emile Hirsch and Jessica Biel to raise awareness of water shortages. In 2008, she joined her dad and anthropologist Wade Davis to raft through the Grand Canyon while being filmed for a documentary to raise awareness about water conservation issues.
What Of Her Involvement With A Decapitated Whale?
Ben Affleck’s potential girlfriend and decapitated whale head are not two words we expected to see together, but the world of the Kennedys is frequently strange. As mentioned, Kick’s father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has had several unfortunate run-ins with animals.
As reported by New York Magazine ,he admitted to dumping a bear corpse in Central Park and has been accused of eating a barbecued dog carcass in a Vanity Fair profile. He insists was a goat, but it’s a rumour you don’t want to need to clarify.
Then, Kick accidentally added to the RFK Jr-animal discourse when she was interviewed in Town&Country back in 2012. She reminisced that during her childhood, ‘word got out’ a dead whale had washed up near their home in Cape Cod, and her father sawed off the whale’s head and affixed it to the roof of the family minivan. He then took his children on a five-hour drive to New York as whale blubber poured down the car’s windows. Kick sanguinely described this as “the rankest thing on the planet” and “day-to-day stuff for us.”
Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr recently defected from the Democrats to support Trump, the whale story has, unfortunately for him, resurfaced.
Who Has Kick Kennedy Dated?
Ben Affleck’s potential new girlfriend has a short list of known ex-boyfriends. The most high-profile is billionaire banking heir Matthew Melon, who, according to The New York Post, died in 2018, four months into their relationship.
At the time Kick’s modelling manager Christine Schott told People: “She is devastated and will not be making comment.”
She was also linked to American singer-songwriter Paul Simon’s son Harper Simons (also a singer-songwriter) between 2013 and 2014.
We’ll have to wait for one of the many sources of Affleck’s camp to confirm if Ben will formally be joining the shortlist.
Related Posts:
- Let’s Look Back At J.Lo And Ben Affleck’s 22-Year Relationship Timeline
- Strange Details Hiding In Jennifer Lopez’s Divorce Filing
- Why Am I So Sad About The End Of Bennifer 2.0?
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