Cheryl Hines and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. almost faked a separation when their marriage was under scrutiny.
Hines told Fox News Digital while promoting her upcoming book Unscripted, “Some people were very upset that I was even married to Bobby” and “were vocally coming at me,” after Kennedy announced his campaign for president.
“Bobby felt like, ‘You shouldn’t be having to take that, so why don’t we just say we’re separated?’” she recalled in an interview published Monday.
“It was a very sweet notion, but I didn’t think that was helpful,” she said.
Hines drew sharp criticism from fans and peers alike when she stood by Kennedy’s side during his run, and even more so when he withdrew from the race and backed Donald Trump. Among those to publicly distance themselves was Hines’ former friend and podcast co-host Tig Notaro, who said she “needed to step away” from the friendship over Hines’ support of her husband. “You’re okaying a particular ride for this country to go on,” Notaro said.
Kennedy’s offer also came as he faced renewed scrutiny over allegations of infidelity. Last September, Kennedy was revealed to have been in a sexting relationship with New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi. In court filings, Nuzzi’s ex-fiancé alleged that Kennedy told her he wanted to “possess,” “control,” and “impregnate” her. Nuzzi is working on a book about the scandal.
Hines didn’t cite Kennedy’s “personal” relationship with the writer when she praised his “sweet” gesture. She told Fox that rather than fake a separation, “What needed to happen, and what did happen, is we got closer together.”
That support has included joining the health secretary at MAGA events—among them, Charlie Kirk’s memorial service—and defending some of Kennedy’s most controversial views.
Hines went to bat for Kennedy’s claims about pregnant women and Tylenol, as well as his vaccine skepticism, during her appearance on The View last week. Hines, who said she was previously a Democrat but has never been “a political person,” said joining MAGA has been “so interesting.”
“You can’t even imagine some of the stuff that happens,” she said, plugging her book. “For a couple to say, maybe we should just say we’re not with each other anymore and our lives would be easier, it’s like, well, things have gotten to that point.”
She concluded, “That’s pretty dramatic and pretty extreme.”
