Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has issued an apology to Eliza Cooney, a former family babysitter who accused him of sexual assault. The apology came shortly after Cooney’s allegations were published in Vanity Fair magazine. Kennedy reportedly sent a text message expressing his remorse, stating, “I have no memory of this incident but I apologize sincerely for anything I ever did that made you feel uncomfortable or anything I did or said that offended you or hurt your feelings.” Screenshots of the text were shared with US media outlets, including the Washington Post and Reuters, who verified the message and linked it to Kennedy’s phone number.
Kennedy, the nephew of President John F Kennedy and son of Robert F Kennedy, declined to comment further on the matter, stating that “the text message speaks for itself.” The BBC has reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for additional comment.
At the time of the alleged assault in the late 1990s, Cooney was 23 years old and working as a live-in babysitter for Kennedy’s children while also assisting him with his legal work. Cooney described Kennedy’s apology as “disingenuous and arrogant,” expressing skepticism towards his lack of recollection and questioning the sincerity of his remorse.
The Vanity Fair article also included other allegations against Kennedy, such as claims that he consumed dog meat during a trip abroad, engaged in extramarital affairs, and staunchly defended his cousin, Michael Skakel, who was convicted of murdering a 15-year-old girl in Greenwich, Connecticut. Kennedy vehemently denied these allegations, referring to the story as “a lot of garbage.” He also acknowledged his tumultuous past, stating, “I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world.” However, he did not directly address the sexual assault accusations.
