Born on January 17, 1954, in Washington, D.C., Robert Francis Kennedy Jr.—the son of former New York senator and U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy—is an attorney, environmental activist and syndicated talk radio host. He is a co-founder and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental protection organization focused on the preservation and conservation of water resources. In addition to writing on environmental issues for numerous publications, he currently serves as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. In 2014, he married actress Cheryl Hines.
Kennedy married Emily Ruth Black in 1982, and nearly one year later, he was arrested for heroin possession at a Rapid City, South Dakota, airport. Police reportedly found 183 milligrams of heroin in his luggage. Kennedy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years' probation, drug testing and treatment, and several hours of community service. Not long after, the charge was expunged from his record.
Kennedy and Emily had two children, Robert and Kathleen, before divorcing in March 1994. Less than one month later, Kennedy married Mary Richardson during a ceremony that was held aboard a ship on the Hudson River. They had four children, Conor, Kyra, William, and Aiden. On May 12, 2010, Kennedy filed for divorce from Mary Kennedy, and shortly after, she was arrested for drunk driving on two separate occasions. Mary Kennedy was found dead in her home on May 16, 2012, and it was later determined that she had died of asphyxiation due to hanging.
Kennedy began dating actress Cheryl Hines in 2010 and the couple married on August 2, 2014. The actress has a daughter from a previous marriage.
