NEED TO KNOW
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Cheryl Hines opened up about the increased attention on her marriage to husband RFK Jr.
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In a new interview with NewsNation, the actress said she’s had to “pivot” while speaking to the press to avoid targeted questions about her husband’s political positions or alleged affairs
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Hines also weighed in on whether RFK Jr. is open to launching another presidential bid in 2028
Cheryl Hines never planned on being married to a politician.
In a new interview with NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports this week, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star opened up about her new memoir, Unscripted, and her marriage to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who made a major career change after they tied the knot in August 2014.
“I asked him when we met. I asked him, you know, if he ever wanted to go into politics, had he ever thought of it,” Hines said. “At the time, he was an environmental attorney. And he said that he didn’t have a desire to go into politics. So I was like, great, we’re going to get along great.
“And then he went into politics,” she continued. “Then he decided to run for president. And I knew, you know, I knew that was going to be a life changer. But I didn’t know how it would change our lives.”
Having been in the periphery of powerful government positions his whole life thanks to his infamous family, Kennedy had turned down Cabinet jobs and candidacies before. However, in 2024, he decided to run for president. He campaigned for the Democratic nomination, but failed to earn a spot on the ticket.
Then the other side of the aisle came calling. President Donald Trump appointed Kennedy to be his secretary of health and human services after taking office for the second time, despite Kennedy’s controversial past statements on vaccines and autism.
When asked if she thinks her husband will use his Cabinet position to launch another shot at the Oval Office in 2028, Hines laughed.
“Oh my gosh, he’s not going to run for president in 2028,” she told NewsNation.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Cheryl Hines watches as RFK Jr. testifies before the Senate on Jan. 29, 2025
In addition to political controversy, Hines has also been forced to publicly weather the fallout from Kennedy’s alleged digital affair with political journalist Olivia Nuzzi, which reportedly took place during his 2024 presidential campaign.
The scandal has resurfaced in recent months, as Nuzzi recently released a memoir, American Canto, which includes intimate details about her relationship with a man named only as “the Politician.”
Additionally, Nuzzi’s ex, Ryan Lizza, has been releasing a serialized newsletter sharing additional sordid details about her alleged relationships with both RFK Jr. and South Carolina politician Mark Sanford.
In her interview with Vargas, Hines marveled at the increased attention on her marriage.
“I’ve been married to Bobby for over a decade, and I’ve done a lot of press in my day. And nobody ever asked me about my husband until now, you know, so it’s just different. I’ve had to pivot a little bit to be ready to answer questions,” she said.
That attention comes not only from journalists, but from random people on the street, too.
“We went to get coffee the other day and this woman comes up and she tells Bobby this, this, and that. She wasn’t that angry, but the things she was saying weren’t nice,” Hines recounted. “And then she looked at me and she said, ‘I know you love him,’ and stormed off.”
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However, the actress said she took it in stride. “If that was the worst thing that happened that day, I was doing okay,” she said.
Elizabeth Vargas Reports airs weeknights 7 p.m. ET on NewsNation.
Read the original article on People
