Disclaimer: The article has mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.
John F Kennedy Jr. was forced to associate with a relative accused of rape. A new report reveals how the said relative spread misinformation about JFK Jr. to get him to cooperate with him. In the end, Kennedy was allegedly forced to attend the accused rapists’ court hearing.
John F. Kennedy’s life was troubled with rumours about him gay. The speculation continued even after he got married to Carolyn Bessette in 1996. William Kennedy Smith, who was John’s cousin, was put on trial after he was accused of rape in 1991.
During the trial, John F. Kennedy made an appearance, which seemingly made it look like he was on William’s side. He was then photographed with his cousin at the court in Palm Beach, Florida. A new RadarOnline report revealed how John was allegedly forced to attend the trial.
A relative blackmailed JFK.Jr, threatening him to falsely tell the press that the rumors about John being gay were true. The accused rapist forced John’s hand by making him attend the trial.
“John made a showing for Willie against his better judgment because he firmly suspected Willie was guilty of the crime,” a source close to John told the Daily Mail. The same person went on to point out how John was scared of the “scurrilous media attention.”
JFK, Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999) 💔 pic.twitter.com/WAQROLFEJh
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) July 16, 2025
They added how “fearful” JFK Jr. was of the media attention he would receive if the fake story got out. “It would embarrass both him and Jackie, who were very protective of each other,” the insider shared. The source alleges that it was John’s uncle, Ted Kennedy, who threatened him to make the appearance.
The friend notes how “stunned” they were to find that out. Jerry Oppenheimer, who has authored the book ‘ RFK, Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream,’ made similar claims in his books. James Ridgway de Szigethy, who was JFK Jr.’s friend, shared how his friend believed that Smith was “likely to have committed the rape.”
c.1995
JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Walking around New York . pic.twitter.com/DYsTc3KiMF
— ᶠᵃⁿˢ JFK JR. (@JFKjr_MEMORIES) July 31, 2025
De Szigethy also said that John once told him that his family knew about William’s issues. He also allegedly said that John F. Kennedy Jr. thought his family should have done something “when he first started doing this,’ meaning …. raping women.”
Szigethy also recalled how John was reluctant to make an appearance at the court. He apparently wasn’t too keen on the idea, nor was his mother. “I suggested that he not do it since Willie was guilty, but he told me who was pressuring and why,” he noted.
