Cheryl Hines is getting candid about the highs, lows, and downright intense moments of being married to presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 campaign.
In a new interview with Fox News Digital, the actress revealed that at one point, Kennedy — whom she affectionately calls “Bobby” — suggested they pretend to be separated to ease the public pressure that came with his run for president.
“In my book, ‘Unscripted,’ I talk about this because things got … dramatic during this presidential campaign,” Hines said, referencing her new memoir. “Some people were very upset that I was even married to Bobby. They were vocally coming at me because I’m married to Bobby. So Bobby felt like, ‘You shouldn’t be having to take that heat. So why don’t we just say we’re separated?’”
Hines, 60, said she understood where he was coming from but didn’t think that would make things any easier. “It was a very sweet notion, but yeah, I didn’t think that was helpful,” she said.
“What needed to happen — and what did happen — is we got closer together. I understood the sentiment behind it, but this is why I think the book is so interesting: you’re in these unique situations that nobody else can imagine.”
Best known for playing Larry David’s wife on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hines has been married to Kennedy since 2014. Before that, she was married to producer Paul Young, with whom she shares a daughter, Catherine, born in 2004.
“For a couple to say, ‘Maybe we should just say we’re not with each other anymore and our lives would be easier,’ it’s like, well, things have gotten to that point,” she said. “That’s pretty dramatic and pretty extreme. And that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to write the book … experiences that are once in a lifetime.”
Hines has stood by Kennedy through a rollercoaster of public and private challenges. She opened up about the intense scrutiny and the real fear for his safety as he launched his presidential bid.
“I was very fearful for his safety,” she told Fox News Digital. “As most people know, his uncle, John Kennedy, was assassinated. His father, Robert Kennedy, was assassinated while he was running for president. So when Bobby ran for president, it was very stressful. For good reason. I mean, I saw somebody breaking into our house — watching him walk into the backyard — and I see the security guy coming at him with his weapon out. It’s 10:00 in the morning.”
That wasn’t the only scare. Hines recalled the moment a man carrying loaded guns was arrested at one of Kennedy’s rallies. Despite several threats, she said her husband’s requests for Secret Service protection were repeatedly denied.
“At the time, Bobby kept requesting Secret Service and kept getting denied. So it was a very stressful time,” she said.
Hines’s memoir, Unscripted, covers not just her life with Kennedy but her journey from bartending in Los Angeles to earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It also explores her advocacy work for United Cerebral Palsy, inspired by her late nephew, and her experience navigating life in the Kennedy family spotlight.
When asked what she hopes readers take away, Hines said the book is about finding joy even when life gets messy. “Life isn’t perfect, you know? Things happen — you don’t get to choose when they happen,” she said.
“I lost my nephew during the presidential campaign, during Bobby’s presidential campaign. So it was a dramatic time. When you read it, you’ll see everybody has challenges. You don’t get to pick when they come, but you can move through them — it’s not easy, but that’s OK.” “Life isn’t always supposed to be easy,” she added. “But when it’s good, you should notice that it’s good — pay attention and enjoy it.”