Assassinations, plane crashes, and a botched lobotomy: How the Kennedys' numerous tragedies fueled the idea of a 'cursed family'

James PasleyApr 2, 2023, 21:28 IST

Joseph and Rose Kennedy with their nine children in 1938.ullstein bild/Getty Images

After Robert and John F. Kennedy were assassinated, an idea formed that the family could be cursed.
Their history has been marred with tragedy, including four plane crashes, a skiing accident, and a lobotomy.

The Kennedys have reached the highest position in public office — becoming senators, congressmen, and one becoming the president.

But their family also has had to deal with countless tragedies: two assassinations, two overdoses, four plane crashes, a skiing accident, and even a botched lobotomy.

Some people, including Ted Kennedy, have openly referred to the curse that befell the family, while others have blamed the ambitious patriarch Joseph Kennedy Sr. for pushing his children too hard.

Here are the tragedies that have struck the Kennedy family.

In 1969, Sen. Ted Kennedy apologized to the nation a week after he fled the scene of a car crash leaving a dead woman named Mary Jo Kopechne behind.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy leaves a courthouse in 1969, after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident.Ted Dully/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

During his televised apology, he said he had wondered "whether some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy leaves a courthouse in 1969 after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident.Joe Dennehy/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

This was the first time one of the Kennedys had publicly acknowledged the curse, but the idea began following the assassinations of his two brothers, John and Rober, earlier that decade.

John F. Kennedy with his family at their Boston home on July 8th, 1934.Bettmann/Getty Images

This was the first time one of the Kennedys had publicly acknowledged the curse, but the idea began following the assassinations of his two brothers, John and Rober, earlier that decade.

But it was Robert Kennedy who first wondered if their family was cursed, according to Edward Klein in his book, "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years."

A portrait of Robert Kennedy.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

But it was Robert Kennedy who first wondered if their family was cursed, according to Edward Klein in his book, "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years."

Robert recognized the parallels between what had happened to his family and the Greek tragedies; in particular, the impacts of family curses and the sins of a father haunting later generations.

Robert Kennedy is shown during a press conference beside then-U.S. Attorney James O'Brien.Bettmann/Getty Images

Robert recognized the parallels between what had happened to his family and the Greek tragedies; in particular, the impacts of family curses and the sins of a father haunting later generations.

Conspiracists have maintained that Kennedy patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. committed crimes like bootlegging to make his fortune.

Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy were surrounded by their children at a family gathering at their home in Palm Beach, Florida.Corbis/Getty Images

Even if the accusations weren't true, Joe Sr. was certainly ambitious and expected a lot from his children.

Joe Kennedy Sr. with his sons John and Joseph Jr. in 1937.Corbis/Getty Images

He had risen from reasonably humble beginnings to become an ambassador to Britain, as well as making millions working as a bank president, selling liquor, and owning a Hollywood studio.

Joe Kennedy Sr. with Winston Churchill outside Downing Street, London, in 1939.Keystone/Getty Images

He had risen from reasonably humble beginnings to become an ambassador to Britain, as well as making millions working as a bank president, selling liquor, and owning a Hollywood studio.

And he expected his children to go even further.

Joe Kennedy Sr. and John F. Kennedy pose for a photograph while boarding a plane in 1939.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images

The first Kennedy to feel the brunt of his ambition was his daughter Rosemary. She had seizures and tantrums and was intellectually disabled.

Kathleen, Rose, and Rosemary Kennedy in formal gowns and carrying bouquets at Buckingham Palace in 1938.Corbis/Getty Images

Joe Sr., conscious of the stigma of mental disability and focused on his sons' political futures, forced her to have a lobotomy when she was 23 years old.

Eunice and Rosemary Kennedy pictured aboard the S. S. Manhattan in New York in 1938.Bettmann/Getty Images

The next tragedy struck the eldest son. Joe Jr. had been groomed for political office his whole life. When he was born, his grandfather, who was then the mayor of Boston, had told the press he would become president one day.

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. at Harvard University in 1938.Bettmann/Getty Images

The next tragedy struck the eldest son. Joe Jr. had been groomed for political office his whole life. When he was born, his grandfather, who was then the mayor of Boston, had told the press he would become president one day.

But in 1944, Joe Jr. was killed by flying explosives across Nazi-controlled Europe during a covert mission called "Operation Aphrodite." He was 29 years old.

Joe Kennedy Jr. smiles at the camera in 1944.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1948, another plane crash rocked the family when Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy died in a plane crash in France.

John F. Kennedy and Kathleen Kennedy at Palm Beach, Florida, in 1934.Corbis/Getty Images

After Joe Jr.'s death, Joe Sr. turned his focus to John F. Kennedy, who saw it coming and told a friend: "Now the burden falls on me."

John F. Kennedy and his father Joe P. Kennedy poses for photographers onboard the SS Queen Mary in 1938.Bettmann/Getty Images

Joe Sr. helped him begin his political life, using his contacts to call in favors and spending tens of thousands of dollars on his campaign. He reportedly said, "We're going to sell Jack like soap flakes."

Joe Kennedy Sr. and John F. Kennedy in 1938.Pictorial Parade/Getty Images

Joe Sr. helped him begin his political life, using his contacts to call in favors and spending tens of thousands of dollars on his campaign. He reportedly said, "We're going to sell Jack like soap flakes."

And the selling worked. In 1960, John F. Kennedy became president of the United States. But tragedy struck again less than three years later when he was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. He was 46 years old.

President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie in a motorcade minutes before he was killed in 1963.Bettmann/Getty Images

And the selling worked. In 1960, John F. Kennedy became president of the United States. But tragedy struck again less than three years later when he was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. He was 46 years old.

The so-called "curse" of the Kennedys began to solidify the following week when Jackie Kennedy, who was known for shaping her family's image and her husband's presidency, invited a Life magazine reporter to Cape Cod for an exclusive interview.

Robert and Edward Kennedy with Jackie Kennedy during the funeral of President John F. Kennedy.Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

The so-called "curse" of the Kennedys began to solidify the following week when Jackie Kennedy, who was known for shaping her family's image and her husband's presidency, invited a Life magazine reporter to Cape Cod for an exclusive interview.

It was over the next few years, as Robert Kennedy grieved for his brother, that he started to see parallels between his family and the ancient Greeks.

Robert Kennedy at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1968.Archive Photos/Getty Images

In 1964, seven months after his brother was assassinated, tragedy almost struck the Kennedys again when Sen. Ted Kennedy went down in a plane crash. Two people were killed in the incident, but, unlike his siblings, he lived.

Sen. Edward Kennedy is visited by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the hospital where he is recovering from injuries received in a plane crash.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1964, seven months after his brother was assassinated, tragedy almost struck the Kennedys again when Sen. Ted Kennedy went down in a plane crash. Two people were killed in the incident, but, unlike his siblings, he lived.

Just four years later, in 1968, Robert was assassinated while campaigning to be president. He was shot moments after he had won the California Democratic presidential primary.

Robert F. Kennedy speaks at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.Dick Strobel/AP

Just four years later, in 1968, Robert was assassinated while campaigning to be president. He was shot moments after he had won the California Democratic presidential primary.

In 1969, Ted Kennedy had another near-death experience when he survived driving off a bridge on the island of Chappaquiddick in Massachusetts. His passenger, a woman named Mary Jo Kopechne, died at the scene.

A tow truck pulls Senator Edward Kennedy's car out of Poucha Pond after the Senator's infamous accident on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1969, Ted Kennedy had another near-death experience when he survived driving off a bridge on the island of Chappaquiddick in Massachusetts. His passenger, a woman named Mary Jo Kopechne, died at the scene.

In 1984, Robert's son David Kennedy died of an overdose in a hotel in Florida.

David Kennedy photographed in New York in 1984.Images/Getty Images

In 1997, Michael Kennedy, another of Robert Kennedy's sons, died in a ski accident in Colorado. Michael had been tossing around a football with relatives while skiing, which the Kennedys had played for decades. He was 39 years old.

Michael Kennedy speaks out in favor of assault weapons ban during a press conference outside then-Speaker Thomas Finneran's office.Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

In 1997, Michael Kennedy, another of Robert Kennedy's sons, died in a ski accident in Colorado. Michael had been tossing around a football with relatives while skiing, which the Kennedys had played for decades. He was 39 years old.

In 1999, another fatal plane accident claimed the life of 38-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing him, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette.

John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, in 1998.Mitch Jacobson/AP

In 1999, another fatal plane accident claimed the life of 38-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing him, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette.

They were flying to Cape Cod for the wedding of Robert's son Rory. But because it took five days for divers to find the bodies, instead of celebrating, the family had to wait for news before they grieved over yet another tragedy.

Mourners pay respects at the floral shrine outside of the building where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn lived in 1999.Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images

They were flying to Cape Cod for the wedding of Robert's son Rory. But because it took five days for divers to find the bodies, instead of celebrating, the family had to wait for news before they grieved over yet another tragedy.

Twenty years later, in 2019, tragedy struck the next generation of Kennedys when Saoirse Kennedy Hill, Robert's granddaughter, died from an accidental overdose.

Saoirse Kennedy Hill holds a relative's baby before a ceremony for naming the Robert Kennedy Navy Ship at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, in Boston.Elise Amendola/AP

In 2020, another of Robert's granddaughters, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, and her 8-year-old son Gideon, went missing in a canoe while searching for a ball that had drifted out into the Chesapeake Bay. Both of their bodies were later found by divers.

David McKean, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, and their family attend a gala in New York City in 2019.Mike Pont/Getty Images Images for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

In 2020, another of Robert's granddaughters, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, and her 8-year-old son Gideon, went missing in a canoe while searching for a ball that had drifted out into the Chesapeake Bay. Both of their bodies were later found by divers.

In 2018, Klein, who wrote the book about the Kennedy curse, defended his claim about the misfortune experienced by the Kennedy family.

The christening of Caroline Kennedy, with Robert, John, Jackie, and Joe Sr. in the background in 1957.Bettmann/Getty Images

Even if some otherworldly force like a curse isn’t at play, it’s undeniable that the Kennedys’ tragedies still transfixed the nation. As presidential historian Michael Beschloss told NBC News, it was difficult to point to a more notable political dynasty.

Brothers John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy in 1960.Bettmann/Getty Images

Even if some otherworldly force like a curse isn’t at play, it’s undeniable that the Kennedys’ tragedies still transfixed the nation. As presidential historian Michael Beschloss told NBC News, it was difficult to point to a more notable political dynasty.

And as J. Randy Taraborrelli, who wrote four books on the Kennedys, told NBC News: "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged … We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen."

A portrait of the Kennedy family in the living room of their home in Bronxville, New York, in 1938.Bachrach/Getty Images

And as J. Randy Taraborrelli, who wrote four books on the Kennedys, told NBC News: "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged … We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen."

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Assassinations, plane crashes, and a botched lobotomy: How the Kennedys' numerous tragedies fueled the idea of a 'cursed family'

In 1969, Sen. Ted Kennedy apologized to the nation a week after he fled the scene of a car crash leaving a dead woman named Mary Jo Kopechne behind.

During his televised apology, he said he had wondered "whether some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys."

This was the first time one of the Kennedys had publicly acknowledged the curse, but the idea began following the assassinations of his two brothers, John and Rober, earlier that decade.

But it was Robert Kennedy who first wondered if their family was cursed, according to Edward Klein in his book, "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years."

Robert recognized the parallels between what had happened to his family and the Greek tragedies; in particular, the impacts of family curses and the sins of a father haunting later generations.

Conspiracists have maintained that Kennedy patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. committed crimes like bootlegging to make his fortune.

Even if the accusations weren't true, Joe Sr. was certainly ambitious and expected a lot from his children.

He had risen from reasonably humble beginnings to become an ambassador to Britain, as well as making millions working as a bank president, selling liquor, and owning a Hollywood studio.

And he expected his children to go even further.

The first Kennedy to feel the brunt of his ambition was his daughter Rosemary. She had seizures and tantrums and was intellectually disabled.

Joe Sr., conscious of the stigma of mental disability and focused on his sons' political futures, forced her to have a lobotomy when she was 23 years old.

The next tragedy struck the eldest son. Joe Jr. had been groomed for political office his whole life. When he was born, his grandfather, who was then the mayor of Boston, had told the press he would become president one day.

But in 1944, Joe Jr. was killed by flying explosives across Nazi-controlled Europe during a covert mission called "Operation Aphrodite." He was 29 years old.

In 1948, another plane crash rocked the family when Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy died in a plane crash in France.

After Joe Jr.'s death, Joe Sr. turned his focus to John F. Kennedy, who saw it coming and told a friend: "Now the burden falls on me."

Joe Sr. helped him begin his political life, using his contacts to call in favors and spending tens of thousands of dollars on his campaign. He reportedly said, "We're going to sell Jack like soap flakes."

And the selling worked. In 1960, John F. Kennedy became president of the United States. But tragedy struck again less than three years later when he was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. He was 46 years old.

The so-called "curse" of the Kennedys began to solidify the following week when Jackie Kennedy, who was known for shaping her family's image and her husband's presidency, invited a Life magazine reporter to Cape Cod for an exclusive interview.

It was over the next few years, as Robert Kennedy grieved for his brother, that he started to see parallels between his family and the ancient Greeks.

In 1964, seven months after his brother was assassinated, tragedy almost struck the Kennedys again when Sen. Ted Kennedy went down in a plane crash. Two people were killed in the incident, but, unlike his siblings, he lived.

Just four years later, in 1968, Robert was assassinated while campaigning to be president. He was shot moments after he had won the California Democratic presidential primary.

In 1969, Ted Kennedy had another near-death experience when he survived driving off a bridge on the island of Chappaquiddick in Massachusetts. His passenger, a woman named Mary Jo Kopechne, died at the scene.

In 1984, Robert's son David Kennedy died of an overdose in a hotel in Florida.

In 1997, Michael Kennedy, another of Robert Kennedy's sons, died in a ski accident in Colorado. Michael had been tossing around a football with relatives while skiing, which the Kennedys had played for decades. He was 39 years old.

In 1999, another fatal plane accident claimed the life of 38-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing him, his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette.

They were flying to Cape Cod for the wedding of Robert's son Rory. But because it took five days for divers to find the bodies, instead of celebrating, the family had to wait for news before they grieved over yet another tragedy.

Twenty years later, in 2019, tragedy struck the next generation of Kennedys when Saoirse Kennedy Hill, Robert's granddaughter, died from an accidental overdose.

In 2020, another of Robert's granddaughters, Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, and her 8-year-old son Gideon, went missing in a canoe while searching for a ball that had drifted out into the Chesapeake Bay. Both of their bodies were later found by divers.

In 2018, Klein, who wrote the book about the Kennedy curse, defended his claim about the misfortune experienced by the Kennedy family.

Even if some otherworldly force like a curse isn’t at play, it’s undeniable that the Kennedys’ tragedies still transfixed the nation. As presidential historian Michael Beschloss told NBC News, it was difficult to point to a more notable political dynasty.

And as J. Randy Taraborrelli, who wrote four books on the Kennedys, told NBC News: "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged … We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen."