Kick Kennedy, the oldest daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may stay out of the news when it comes to matters related to her politician father but she is making headlines for another reason — her alleged ties to newly-single Ben Affleck.
Kathleen Alexandra “Kick” Kennedy, who was born in April 1988, has reportedly been hanging out with the Oscar winner since his split from Jennifer Lopez. The rumor is a rare moment of publicity for the grand-niece of John F. Kennedy who has, in the past, opened up about her discomfort with the spotlight.
“People ask me, ‘What’s it like to be a Kennedy?’” she told the New York Post in 2014. “Maybe it’s just the temperature of the water, but I’m just like, ‘I have no idea.’ When I see my face or name in the tabloids, I get a knot in my stomach. It’s just not me — it’s reading something that’s not real.”
She’s named after her great-aunt Kick (which you probably gathered if you’ve kept up with the Kennedys), but she’s definitely not in the family business of politics. In fact, she’s pursuing acting — you can even spot her in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
There’s more where that came from — learn more about the young Kennedy below.
She’s named after another Kennedy
If you google “Kick Kennedy,” you’ll find a ton of articles about JFK’s younger sister, who died in a plane accident back in 1948 when she was just 28 years old. The Kick we’re discussing today was named for the one who died years ago, her great-aunt.
Though Kick Jr. never met her namesake, she has posted about her on social media, and it’s clear that she feels a connection with the elder Kick.
“Visiting the gravesite of my great aunt and namesake, Kick Kennedy, in Edensor, England,” she wrote in a 2016 Instagram caption. “‘Joy she gave, Joy she has found.’”
She’s an actress
The Kennedys are all about politics, but Kick would rather be acting. Per to her IMDB profile, she’s already had parts on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Newsroom, and she even appeared as herself on an 2010 episode of Gossip Girl. She also starred in movies Teacher of the Year and Fear and Loathing in Aspen.
In 2014, she made her off-Broadway debut in 2014, starring in a modern retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone.
“I’m really lucky,” Kennedy told the Associated Press while rehearsing for the play. “I’ve grown a lot just studying this part and I hope I can do it justice. I couldn’t really ask for a better story to tell right now. It’s just sort of magical that everything fell into place.”
Kick revealed that she had loved acting since she was a kid and, while growing up, would put on plays with Annie Starke, the daughter of Glenn Close. She also acted during her time at Stanford University.
“It’s just been the funniest thing for me throughout my whole life,” she said. “Here I am and I’m giving it a go. It seems to be the thing that I like doing and people tell me I’m kind of good at.”
“Hopefully one day people will come see me for something that doesn’t have to do with my last name,” she said. “For me, it’s just two different things. This is a job. That is my life.”
She’s not that impressed with Taylor Swift
Remember when there was all that buzz around Taylor Swift dating a Kennedy? That was Kick’s brother Conor. And while Kick certainly doesn’t have anything bad to say about Swift, she wasn’t fangirling when the singer was coming around, either.
“Yeah, she’s really sweet,” Kick told Page Six in 2014. “It was a moment, really. But we always have exciting things going on — exciting people to meet.”
She doesn’t want to be known for just being a Kennedy
Some famous offspring are all about the nepotism, but Kick seems to see her famous name as more of a hurdle.
“Hopefully, one day people will come see me for something that doesn’t have to do with my last name,” she said in 2014, according to Page Six.
That probably factored into Kick’s decision to go into show business instead of politics.
She revealed some bizarre information about her dad
In a 2012 interview with Town & Country, Kick recalled an especially colorful childhood event in which her dad — who has a thing for animal skulls and skeletons — took her down to the beach with a chainsaw to retrieve the head of a dead beached whale. They bungee-corded the head to the roof of the family minivan for the five-hour haul back home.
“Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet,” Kick said. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”
She dated late-billionaire Matthew Mellon
Kick had been dating billionaire banking heir Matthew Mellon for about four months when he died unexpectedly in April 2018. At the time, Kick’s model manager, Christine Schott, told People that Kick was :heartbroken, shocked, she didn’t see this coming.” She added: “She is devastated and will not be making comment.”
Per Page Six, from 2013 to 2014, Kick was romantically linked to Paul Simon’s son Harper Simon.
She’s Pals With Ben Affleck
You can see so many photos of Kick with different animals on her Instagram, showing she definitely has a soft spot for animals.
She’s athletic
Kick’s social media is filled with photos of her playing tennis, skiing, scuba diving, horseback riding, and much more. Fun fact: She once appeared on MTV’s Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro which followed celebrities including Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Alexandra Cousteau on a trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro trek to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis.
She’s a philanthropist
Kick told Resident in 2014 that she was very concerned about water issues, which started her love for philanthropic causes.
“I’ve been really connected to water issues since I can remember, as my father made it his passion. We knew what PCPs were before we knew how to tie our shoes,” she said. “I’ve also spent so much time on the water, whether it’s sailing with friends and family or doing a river cleanup on the Hudson. Being on the water … is where I’m the happiest.”
A version of this article was originally published in March 2017
Before you go, click here to see the net worth of 15 mega-rich celebrity kids.
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