Actress Cheryl Hines is opening up about the toll her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s political journey has taken on her health, describing a period marked by fear, grief, and overwhelming stress.
According to Fox News, in a recent interview, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star said the past year has been one of the most difficult of her life.
“I went through a lot of darkness and not only because of politics,” Hines, 60, told Page Six. “I lost my nephew in the last year, and it was heartbreaking. And to deal with that loss while this other chaos was going on, there were dark times.”
She added, “But I am definitely in a new chapter that I could never have predicted I would be in.”
Kennedy, now serving as Health and Human Services secretary in President Donald Trump’s second administration, launched a presidential campaign in April 2023. Hines said the moment he entered the race, her concerns about family safety escalated sharply.
“The fact that he didn’t [initially] get Secret Service protection when he was a presidential candidate is unacceptable,” she said. “During that time, I would stay dressed with my shoes on until I was ready to go to bed, just because I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
She recalled unsettling warnings that reached her during the campaign. “There were phone calls saying, ‘Someone just showed up at his rally with loaded guns and was asking to see Bobby.’ So it was a real concern.”
Things became even more intense after the assassination attempt on Trump in July. Hines said that just three days later, a meeting with Trump left her overwhelmed.
“[Trump] had the bandage on his ear that was a reminder of how close the bullet was to his temple,” she said. “It really struck me that something could happen in an instant that would change everything. And I knew that Bobby was out there every day campaigning just like President Trump was doing…”
After the meeting, she broke out in hives and went to urgent care. The stress continued that night when Kennedy suggested dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump.
“They did connect on a lot of levels and had common goals that they wanted to accomplish,” she said. But she described the moment as her body reaching its limit. “My lips started swelling and I was worried that my throat might start closing up and I had to go to urgent care.”
Hines said it’s not unusual for people to ask why she remains in the marriage, given Kennedy’s controversial positions on vaccines, public health policy and his shift away from the Democratic Party.
“There’s extremes on both sides to Bobby — and being his wife — because there are a lot of people who absolutely love and support him. And then there are people who, no matter what he accomplishes, are still going to criticize him,” she said.
She added that speaking openly helps her stay grounded. “I thought it was important for me to say: this is why I love him. This is who he is as a person and this is who we are to each other.”
Despite the turmoil, Hines said she is beginning to rediscover moments of stability and joy.
“I’m learning something new every day,” she said. “I didn’t know I would be learning so much about politics, but I am. And actually it makes me happy to learn new things. I feel like I’m at a place now where I can appreciate what’s happening in my life, and I feel strong and ready, and I’m having a really good time with the people around me.”
