JFK Took White House Intern’s Virginity in Jackie Kennedy’s Bed, Leading to an 18-Month Affair

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

A teenage White House intern named Mimi Beardsley was drawn into an amazing and secret world of power, secrecy, and close meetings with President John F. Kennedy in the summer of 1962. Her story, as revealed in her memoir Once Upon a Secret , is of a complex relationship that would span 18 months and forever alter the trajectory of her life. Beardsley was a 19-year-old starting an internship at the White House press office. Quite naive and wide-eyed, she could never imagine the events that would occur in her life. This first meeting with the president began rather innocently—an invitation to swim in the White House pool by Dave Powers, John’s close aide.

The 45-year-old president had a lot of charisma and was quite fit. John was the only one who could steal the show during the first swimming session. Soon after, Beardsley received an invitation to a small party at the White House residence, where the discussion was lively and the daiquiris were flowing. John drew her aside there and gave her a private tour of the newly renovated bedroom his wife had prepared. The events that followed would turn out to be a turning point in Beardsley’s young adulthood . The president had allegedly taken her virginity in Jackie Kennedy’s bedroom with calculated precision. According to People , Beardsley would later characterize the encounter as unexpected but not overtly aggressive, although she did admit that there was a significant gap in power between them.

Their romance was anything but a love affair. Beardsley recalled how he never kissed her. She referred to him as Mr. President, not Jack, even during their most private moments together. From taking a bath with rubber ducks to being encouraged to do things that would reflect poorly on the president’s character, the incidents ranged widely. She was put in the unpleasant position where John asked Beardsley to “take care” of his aide Powers, which she did, although very reluctantly, after a terrible episode at the White House pool. Another time, he asked her to do the same for his brother, Senator Ted Kennedy—a suggestion she resisted.

Yet, despite the convolutions, Beardsley said John made her feel special, teaching her how to scramble eggs, playing records together, and even having her help maintain his distinctive hair. She often slept over at the White House and traveled with the president; however, she always kept the relationship very discreet. The affair ended amicably as Beardsley got engaged to Tony Fahnestock. Kennedy was very gracious about it, giving her two diamond-studded gold pins and an autographed photograph. Thus, their relationship transitioned from sexual to a very strange friendship.

They would finally meet for the last time on November 15, 1963, just 15 days before his assassination. John gave her a $300 wedding gift and promised to call when he returned from Texas. He was gone a week later, leaving Beardsley distraught and carrying a secret that would weigh her down for decades. Indeed, when years later she finally spilled the beans about the affair to her fiancé, it shook him to his very core. The then-husband insisted she never speak of it again, thus forcing her into an emotional shutdown that would affect her marriage and personal life for years afterward, as per NBC News .

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)