Who Is Kick Kennedy? All About RFK Jr.’s Daughter Who’s Been Linked to Ben Affleck

Because the eldest daughter of six siblings and a descendant of Robert F. Kennedy, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy has continued to uphold the enduring American household’s legacy.

Kick was born 4 years after her brother, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy III, in 1988 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his first spouse, Emily Ruth Black. She grew up in New York as one in every of six kids however eschewed a path in politics that a lot of her household selected to go down.

As a substitute, Kick began her profession as a performer, having pursued appearing after graduating from Stanford College. Although she had a number of roles shortly after commencement, Kick has primarily targeted on a profession in philanthropy.

Most just lately, Kick, 36, made headlines after she was attending to know Ben Affleck, 52, after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from the actor on Aug. 20, 2024. Though one other insider stated, “I do not assume they even know one another. There’s positively nothing occurring.”

So who’s Kick Kennedy? This is all the things to learn about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s eldest daughter and her recognizing with Ben Affleck.

She was named after her great-aunt

Kick was born Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy on April 13, 1988, however was nicknamed Kick, identical to her great-aunt, Kathleen “Kick” Agnes Kennedy (who was the sister of late President John F. Kennedy).

Kathleen was remembered as having an adventurous and outgoing character, per the 2016 biography Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Demise of the Favourite Kennedy Daughter. Nevertheless, Kathleen had a serious rift together with her household when she married Billy Hartington, a Protestant, inflicting her Catholic dad and mom to show her away. After she died in a tragic airplane crash in 1948 at simply 28 years outdated, nobody from her household attended her funeral.

Like Kathleen, Kick had an adventurous spirit from a younger age; she informed City & Nation in a 2012 profile and was touring internationally, mountain climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and rafting within the Grand Canyon whereas nonetheless in school. Not like Kathleen, nevertheless, Kick stated she has a extra supportive household.

“I at all times thought Dad and I have been the identical individual, however I received fascinated by Kick a number of years in the past, and it is humorous how related we’re,” she stated. “She was enjoyable and social and a performer in some ways.”

“After all, I do not assume my dad and mom would ever name my very own demise divine retribution. Effectively, perhaps if I turned a Republican,” she joked.

She was raised in a house of six siblings

Kick is one in every of six siblings. She and her older brother, Bobby, have been born to RFK Jr. and Black. Nevertheless, the couple break up in 1994, at which level RFK Jr. remarried to Mary Richardson. The pair went on to welcome 4 kids — Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, Aidan Kennedy and William “Finn” Kennedy — earlier than their break up in 2010. In 2012, Richardson died by suicide.

Within the wake of Richardson’s demise, Kick flew residence from school at Stanford College to spend time together with her siblings. Now, she continues to have an in depth relationship with all 5, taking part in varied fundraisers and charities with them, together with talking with Conor on the fiftieth anniversary of the Poor Individuals’s Marketing campaign in Mississippi in Might 2018.

Kick has at all times been very adventurous

Because the daughter of a grasp falconer, Kick grew up with a love for animals and the setting, in addition to exploring it. Whereas she was a pupil at Stanford finding out historical past, she hiked Mount Kilimanjaro with actors Emile Hirsch and Jessica Biel in an effort to boost consciousness of the water scarcity disaster.

She informed Resident in 2014 that she grew up at all times surrounded by animals, together with “canine and cats and chickens and alligators.”

“I believed it was fairly regular to run across the woods constructing forts with my crow that was skilled to say ‘Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy’ or have an alligator wound, etcetera,” she stated. “My classmates have been fast to right me. I feel they have been a bit of off-put.”

She began her profession as an actress

Although Kick majored in historical past, she knew she wished to work in appearing whereas she was nonetheless in school. Following commencement, she landed a number of minor roles in Gossip Lady and The Newsroom, and even an episode of her stepmother Cheryl Hines‘ Curb Your Enthusiasm earlier than she started courting RFK Jr.

Although Kick was splitting her time between New York and Los Angeles in hopes of discovering her large break, she admitted to City & Nation that it wasn’t fame she was searching for.

“I used to be born with a sticker — a reputation — that has made me completely uninterested within the fame issue of success,” Kick stated. “I see all my actor mates actually going for it in that method as a result of it is such an enormous a part of the job, but it surely form of turns me off. I am fearful of it, or at the very least uninterested, unamused.”

Kick is now a philanthropist

Kick primarily stopped appearing after 2012, as a substitute specializing in a profession in philanthropy. She is obsessed with discovering an answer to water shortages and different environmental causes, having grown up together with her father, who’s passionate in regards to the setting.

“I have been actually linked to water points since I can bear in mind, as my father made it his ardour,” she informed Resident. “We knew what PCPs have been earlier than we knew how one can tie our sneakers. I’ve additionally spent a lot time on the water, whether or not it is crusing with family and friends or doing a river cleanup on the Hudson.”

She was rumored to be spending time with Affleck in August 2024

Simply days after her father dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, Kick made headlines for her rumored reference to Affleck. The studies additionally got here simply days after Lopez filed for divorce from the Gone Lady actor.

A number of sources informed PEOPLE that Kick and Affleck are attending to know each other, with one saying the 2 are “in the identical scene,” including that “Kick’s celeb crush has at all times been Ben.”

The supply additionally described Kick as a “partier” who “likes to have a superb time.” Nevertheless, a special supply informed PEOPLE that there is nothing between the 2.

Reps for Kennedy and Affleck didn’t reply to PEOPLE’s requests for remark.