Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently stepped into a prominent role as head of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
Sources close to the couple reveal that Cheryl Hines, 59, plans to relocate to Washington immediately, driven by concerns over Kennedy’s well-known history of infidelity. She reportedly issued a firm ultimatum: join her in D.C. or face serious repercussions.
The couple’s relationship faced turbulence after a sexting scandal broke in September 2023, involving Kennedy and a younger woman. The news blindsided Hines and sparked divorce rumors.
Though she attended Kennedy’s confirmation hearings and swearing-in ceremony, signaling efforts to repair their bond, insiders say she remains uneasy. Her absence from former President Donald Trump’s congressional address only deepened speculation about ongoing tensions.
Known for her role on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hines refuses to leave Kennedy unsupervised in Washington, D.C. With its elite social circles and Kennedy family admirers, she worries temptation could overwhelm him.
“Cheryl doesn’t trust Bobby to stay in D.C. alone, even part-time,” a source explained. “His past haunts her, and she dreads him surrounded by admirers while she’s in Los Angeles.”
Despite enjoying a lavish $6 million Brentwood estate in Hollywood, Hines appears ready to trade that lifestyle to safeguard her marriage. Insiders note she’s eyeing Georgetown as her new base to keep tabs on her husband.
Kennedy’s reputation as a ‘womanizer’
Kennedy’s reputation as a womanizer stretches back decades. He cheated on both prior wives—Emily Black and Mary Richardson, the latter dying by suicide in 2012 and mother to four of his six children.
Last year, his name surfaced again in a scandal with Olivia Nuzzi, a 31-year-old New York Magazine reporter. Their alleged inappropriate relationship reportedly began after an interview in late 2023.
Though Nuzzi denied a physical affair, the fallout cost her job. Her ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, publicly slammed her “reckless behavior” and filed a court claim alleging Kennedy sought to “possess, control, and impregnate” her, calling it “toxic” and “unhealthy.”
Hines’ unease traces back to Kennedy’s own admissions. Personal diaries found by Richardson chronicled dozens of extramarital flings, listing Hollywood figures, activists, and socialites with coded rankings.
Kennedy dubbed these urges “lust demons,” a phrase that now fuels Hines’ determination to prevent a repeat. “Cheryl knew Bobby’s history when they wed, but the recent scandal hit differently,” a friend shared. “She’s still reeling emotionally.”
Their marriage has long intrigued observers. Before Kennedy, Hines divorced Hollywood producer Paul Young, with whom she has a daughter.
Sources claim Kennedy met Hines through Richardson, only for an affair to emerge later. Unlike his previous wives—an Ivy League attorney and an architectural designer—Hines rose from humble roots as a Florida homecoming queen, later assisting Rob Reiner before starring in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Even Larry David, her co-star and friend, once quipped that Kennedy couldn’t shake her. Yet, life with a Kennedy has clearly tested her resilience.
Skeptics doubt Kennedy can change. A friend from their extravagant Kennedy Compound wedding remarked, “Any woman with Bobby either sees the truth or ignores it. Thinking you’ll tame him is a fantasy. Women who feel special rarely escape disappointment.”
Hines, however, seems set to challenge that notion by making Washington, D.C., her new home, putting her marriage to the ultimate test.
