A new unauthorized biography of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is peeling back the curtain on the private turmoil of the man now serving as health secretary, revealing a history of severe addiction, chronic health crises, and a turbulent personal life. The book, titled “RFK JR.: The Fall and Rise,” utilizes more than 1,200 pages of Kennedy’s private diary entries to paint a portrait of a man struggling to reconcile his public legacy with a chaotic internal reality.
The RFK Jr. Unauthorized tell-all, published by Harper Collins, was written by investigative reporter Isabel Vincent. The narrative relies heavily on journals from 1999, 2000, and 2001, which Vincent reports were obtained in 2013 from a source close to Kennedy’s second wife, Mary Richardson. Richardson, who died by suicide in 2012, allegedly kept the diaries as “insurance” during a volatile divorce.
Even as Kennedy has not commented on the new biography, he previously described his journals as a “tool for self-examination and for dealing with my spiritual struggles” when portions of a 2001 diary were made public years ago. The new work suggests those struggles were far more systemic than previously acknowledged, documenting a trajectory that moved from youth drug experimentation to the highest levels of government.
A history of addiction and family tragedy
The biography details a harrowing relationship with narcotics that began in Kennedy’s adolescence. According to the text, Kennedy was experimenting with LSD and amphetamine tablets by age 15, later writing of his use of “acid, meth and dope.” The drug use escalated into a heroin addiction that the book alleges had a devastating impact on his siblings.
The most striking claim involves the death of his brother, David Kennedy, who died of an overdose. The book quotes the late biographer David Horowitz, who asserted that “Bobby held him down when David was thirteen and shot him with heroin,” describing Kennedy as the “ringleader” of the group’s drug use. This pattern of instability led to Kennedy being suspended and expelled from multiple schools and resulted in an arrest for selling marijuana to an undercover officer.
By the time Kennedy reached college, the book describes him as a “full-blown drug user” and dealer, specifically citing the use of cocaine and “speedballs”—a volatile mixture of cocaine and heroin. These struggles persisted into his first marriage, leading to multiple stints in rehabilitation and an arrest for heroin possession.
The ‘lust demons’ and private logs
Beyond substance abuse, “The Fall and Rise” examines Kennedy’s struggle with what he termed his “lust demons.” The biography alleges a pattern of chronic infidelity, claiming Kennedy cheated on his first wife, Emily Black, with his second wife, Mary Richardson, and subsequently cheated on Richardson with his current wife, actress Cheryl Hines.
Vincent describes a “conquest log” found in the back of Kennedy’s diaries. This log reportedly listed the names of various women alongside a numeric scale from one to 10, which denoted different sexual acts. The book notes that some days contained up to three entries, occasionally marked with the word “victory” and exclamation points.
The journals also reveal a coded language for his encounters. Kennedy reportedly used the term “muggings” to describe random sexual encounters, writing in one instance, “Got mugged on the way home. I’ve got to do better.” In a 1999 entry, he expressed a sense of pride after surviving a difficult week without “acting out,” noting that “the Sirens were on every rock out there.”
Medical contradictions and chronic health battles
The biography provides a candid look at Kennedy’s own medical history, which often stands in contrast to his public role as a leader of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. The diaries document a lifelong battle with heart irregularities, including atrial fibrillation (AFib). Kennedy reportedly described the sensation in a deposition as feeling “like there’s a bag of worms in my chest.”
According to the book, Kennedy’s heart issues began in his 20s and resulted in short-term memory loss, a symptom linked in medical research to cognitive decline associated with AFib. He wrote of receiving a blood thinner shot and another medication that he claimed carried a risk of heart failure—a treatment he alleged was not typically prescribed, adding that his doctor “knows I won’t tell on him.”
Further health revelations include a diagnosis of hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder causing excessive iron absorption that can damage the liver and heart. Kennedy wrote that this condition might explain why his heart felt like a “gerbil cage several hours a day.” The book also notes a diagnosis of Hepatitis C and references to “Captain Winky” problems, a slang term for erectile dysfunction, which the author links to iron imbalances.
| Condition | Reported Symptom/Detail | Context/Source |
|---|---|---|
| Atrial Fibrillation | “Bag of worms in my chest” | Deposition/Diary |
| Hemochromatosis | “Gerbil cage” heart sensation | Private Journal |
| Spasmodic Dysphonia | Vocal challenges | General Biography |
| Hepatitis C | Blood test discovery | Private Journal |
Unfiltered views on the political elite
The diaries also offer a raw, often caustic look at Kennedy’s relationships with some of the most powerful figures in American life. His views on Bill Clinton, for example, shifted from admiration—calling him “tan and fit” and “very charming”—to disgust following Clinton’s controversial pardons, concluding that Clinton “really is a flawed character.”
Kennedy was equally blunt about other contemporaries. He described former President George W. Bush as an “idiot and a puppet” and a “simpleton” following the 9/11 attacks. Regarding his brother-in-law, Andrew Cuomo, Kennedy wrote that while Cuomo was focused and energetic, he “lacks humanity and doesn’t love people.”
The book also captures lighter, more eccentric moments, such as Kennedy’s penchant for unusual pets. In addition to his well-known interest in falconry, the biography mentions a sea lion named Sandy that lived in one of the family’s pools and a 16-pound leopard tortoise allegedly smuggled back from Africa in a Gucci suitcase in 1964.
Note: The health information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is based on claims made in a biography; it should not be taken as medical advice.
As the book gains traction, the next major point of contention is expected to be the potential for legal challenges regarding the privacy of the diaries. Representatives for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Have not yet responded to requests for comment on the specific allegations regarding his health or personal conduct.
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