Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s public expression of love to his wife was met with admiration from his followers and hate from his critics.
The secretary of health and human services celebrating his wedding anniversary to Cheryl Hines opened the door for people to bring up an embarrassing moment in his life.
President Donald Trump’s adviser on all national health matters and the veteran actress were first introduced by Hines’ “Curb Your Enthusiasm” co-star Larry David in 2011.
Kennedy, 71, and Hines, 59, got engaged in April 2014 before tying the knot in August 2014 at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
“Thanks for eleven years of love and laughter. You fill all my empty spaces,” RFK Jr. tweeted on August 3, 2025. He included a photo of the couple wearing matching black outfits.
The son of the late former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy amassed more than 7 million views, 149,000 likes, and 9,000 reposts for his anniversary message on the X platform.
Some RFK Jr. supporters congratulated the anti-vaccine activist and his wife. For instance, one fan replied, “Happy Anniversary! She’s a keeper.” Likewise, someone expressed, “Cute! Wishing you two the best.”
However, Kennedy could not escape other X users clowning him for allegedly having a secret “personal relationship” with New York Magazine political reporter Olivia Nuzzi, 32, while he was married to Hines.
“Didn’t you cheat on her just two years ago?” one critic asked in the replies to RFK Jr’s tweet. A second person jokingly responded, “Many people say it’s a prerequisite for this administration… that’s what I heard.”
Yet another person on the social networking app responded to Kennedy acknowledging his wife’s support, by sneeringly speaking on his behalf and commenting, “Aside from when I’m doing reporters.”
In September 2024, news broke revealing Kennedy had a romantic connection with Nuzzi during his independent presidential campaign. The extramarital fling was said to be emotional but not physical, which included romantic text and video conversations.
The misconduct led to the magazine putting its Washington, D.C., correspondent on leave before the publication and Nuzzi eventually parted ways. A follow-up by People claimed that Hines and Kennedy had “barely spoken” in the immediate weeks following the affair coming to light.
“She’s embarrassed because he got caught,” an unidentified insider told the celebrity news outlet about Hines’ apparent state of mind in the aftermath of her husband’s entanglement with another woman.
People also caught up with Hines in October 2024, one month after Kennedy’s affair with Nuzzi made international headlines. Despite her marriage being a major story at the time, the “Think Like a Man Too” movie cast member insisted she was “feeling good.”
Kennedy remained with Hines as he was able to turn his failed independent run for president into a prominent cabinet job in Trump’s second term. He joined the Republican administration in February 2025.
The former environmental law professor’s move to Washington, D.C. apparently came with an ultimatum from his wife. Hines was said to be still “recovering from the emotional shock and pain” from RFK Jr.’s sexting scandal.
“Cheryl doesn’t feel Bobby can be trusted one iota living on his own, in D.C., even part-time, with so many attractive women and Kennedy groupies around, as he gets settled in his powerful new position,” an anonymous source told The Daily Mail in March 2025.
Hines supposedly demanded that RFK Jr. bring her with him to the nation’s capital in order to “keep a close watch” on the newly appointed head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
