We Know Kick Kennedy's Dad RFK Jr., but What About Her Mom? Kick's Parents Met at Law School

In the wake of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's divorce, and amid the news that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had dropped out of the presidential race, a new face emerged that grabbed folks' attention in summer 2024: Kick Kennedy.

So who is Kick, and how does she relate to both of these headline-making stories? It has to do with her family and her (alleged) dating life. We explain it all below.

Kick — who was named after her great-aunt Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, who died in a plane crash in 1948 — was born April 1988 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his first wife, Emily Ruth Black.

RFK Jr., a lawyer turned politician, is the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, and nephew of the late John F. Kennedy. He launched an ultimately unsuccessful run for president in 2023 as an independent candidate before dropping out of the race in August 2024.

RFK Jr. met Emily, who hailed from Bloomington, Ind., while they were both attending the University of Virginia Law School. According to a 2015 book by Jerry Oppenheimer called RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream, RFK Jr. was unfaithful to Emily during their relationship at school, while he also struggled with drug addiction.

They got married in April 1982, when Emily was 24 and RFK Jr. was 27. Not much is known about Emily today, though it looks like she may be practicing law in Washington, D.C.

The pair welcomed two children together over the course of their marriage. Their first child, a son named Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy III, was born in September 1984. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy came along four years later.

RFK. JR and Emily split in 1992, ultimately divorcing in 1994. But before they were officially divorced, RFK Jr. had already proposed to his future second wife, Mary Richardson, according to Oppenheimer's book. And three weeks after his divorce with Emily went through, he wed Mary in April 1994. Mary was six months pregnant by that point.

OK, so back to Kick: RFK Jr. and Emily's daughter ended up going into show business, with a handful of credits to her name, according to her IMDb page. You may have noticed her on an episode of HBO's The Newsroom, or in 2021's Fear and Loathing in Aspen.

And speaking of acting ... where does the Ben Affleck/JLo thing come into the equation? Well, apparently after Ben and JLo split in early 2024, Ben began seeing Kick. Page Six reported in August 2024 that the two had been seen at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, among some other cool spots.