Court papers filed last week show that Mary Richardson Kennedy had been financially cut off by her estranged husband Robert F Kennedy Jr in the months prior to her suicide. Mary was forced to borrow money from friends for such necessities as groceries, gas, and doctor’s visits.
The New York Post reports that an insider close to Mary Kennedy has said that RFK Jr’s wife was forced to ask her children’s classmates' parents for cash to help her pay for basic necessities, including groceries and doctor’s visits, to help support her and RFK Jr’s son.
“Mary was left to sometimes ask for $20 from the parents of her kids’ classmates to buy gas and groceries,” the source said to the New York Post.
Mary Kennedy, mother of four and estranged wife of RFK Jr, committed suicide when she hung herself in a barn this May. Many said she was in the grips of a long-lasting battle with depression.
A petition filed last week in Surrogate’s Court in Westchester County by Mary’s former divorce attorneys, who say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to pay them a promised $278,000 in legal fees, shed light on RFK Jr’s tactics during the divorce.
The petition papers detail RFK Jr’s “scorched-earth litigation approach” that left his wife cut off from a $20,000-a-month, court-approved credit card, leaving her unable to buy groceries, gas or even medical care for their son.
“Somebody living in a fifth-floor walk-up in The Bronx with cash could do more than she could,” said the source close to Mary Kennedy.
The petition said, “Unfortunately, the last months of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s life were full of daily financial challenges, directly attributable to Mr. Kennedy’s litigation tactics executed through his family office.”
According to an agreement made in October, RFK Jr. was to continue paying his wife’s household and legal expenses. Mary and Robert F Kennedy Jr were supposed to have a $20,000-a-month limit on a joint credit card, with the bills to be paid by the Kennedy clan’s money manager, the Park Agency.
Financially cutting off his estranged wife was a tactic meant “to squeeze her and make her panic,” said the source. Cutting Mary off came during a time when many important issues were being decided upon following the divorce, including custody and division of assets.
Kennedy’s lawyer, Norman Heller, said he hadn’t read the court papers. “Those are very serious accusations,” Heller said. “I can’t comment on something I haven’t seen.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.oonafitz | May 11, 2013, 11:27 AM EDT
No surprise here. This is the environmental activist who promotes all things environmental. Oh yes, except for those pesky wind turbines several miles from the family oceanfront estates. Let them put them near the poor people's homes. Why is the poster below surprised it is RFK's son? He was rumored to have affairs and be ruthless politically.His other son divorced his wife and later when he wanted to remarry, attempted to have his first marriage annulled, despite the fact that there were two children. His wife, unfortunately for him, publicly fought him, and had the money and name in her own right to make it news. Any woman who marries a kennedy is in trouble. i have always believed Joan K's alcoholism was brought on by her husband's antics. His response? Instead of helping her, he divorced her. I hope her family and children sue him for everything he has. He had to have known about her depression, and this is how he handles it?
stephendoyle | Apr 26, 2013, 08:53 AM EDT
It is unfortunate when the viel is lifted from what I thought was such a good and public serving family. Makes me think some of the things in my past maybe weren't so bad after all.He should have to live under the same circumstances and see if the rope does not come out for him also......
longislander1940 | Apr 03, 2013, 11:31 AM EDT
Wonderful Irish Catholic family, the Kennedys. It all started with DAD.
Beedee | Jul 03, 2012, 08:09 AM EDT
Typical example of the privileged 'better than the rest' mob thinking they can do what they want and be exempt from their duty. Just look at the Kennedy History. I find it unbelievable that THIS Kennedy, thinks he can do the same as all former Kennedy men. This is 2012 Mr, women/wives are not the 'underclass'. The Kennedy name is stained with the blood and tears of their victims, there is no way to remove it.
Aliciarose | Jul 02, 2012, 11:34 PM EDT
What would you expect from a KENNEDY? They were all ruthless, conniving and adulterous men.
jamthecat | Jul 02, 2012, 10:14 PM EDT
What a vile thing to do. Just as vile as Newt Gingrich dumping both his first and second wives when they were ill and But that's Newt's way of doing things. The rich and powerful seem to forget they are not gods.
Parents | Jul 02, 2012, 06:39 PM EDT
Pretty sad and ruthless- he had no idea what she would do and suicide would be one option that might have been considered by him. Seems as long as he defeated her in any way - that was his goal. Take a mother's child, starve her out, ruin any dignity she had left and then the out come wouldn't be good......he didn't care.
Christisall | Jul 02, 2012, 04:37 PM EDT
It is a blessing that Ted Kennedy is gone. Actually, it is good when any Kennedy has passed.
Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 04:25 PM EDT
No OUTRAGE here from the US side about the vicious Kennedys.
PhlutiePhan | Jul 02, 2012, 11:52 AM EDT
"Scorched earth" toward a woman is heartbreaking from the namesake of RFK. He intentionally accentuated her depression which then led to her suicide. I would call him a "rat". All that she wanted was to bask in the Kennedy sun. Evidently, the Kennedy gods did not like this.
Murph46 | Jul 02, 2012, 11:38 AM EDT
Of couse he cut her off $,it's the Kennedy way!