Emily Ruth Black is the first wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She worked as a Legal Aid Society lawyer after she passed her bar exam at the University where she met RFK Jr.
They were married from 1982 to 1994 and they had two children: Robert “Bobby” Francis Kennedy III and Kathleen “Kick” Alexandra Kennedy.
Who is Emily Ruth Black?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was born on October 19 1957 in Bloomington Monroe County. Her father Thomas Allen Black died when she was only two years while her mother Helen Elizabeth Pawley worked as a schoolteacher. Her mother remarried hence the difference in their names. She was thereafter known as Elizabeth Pawley of Cameron, Mo.
The midwesterner from Bloomington has two siblings of whom is Sarah Hochberg of Chicago.
Her ex-husband belongs to a well-known American political family. His father was Robert F. Kennedy, who served as the US Attorney General and Senator, while his uncle, John F. Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. Additionally, his other uncle, Ted Kennedy, also served as a senator.
Kennedy’s uncle JFK was assassinated in 1963 while in office. His father was also assassinated while running for president in 1968.
Emily Ruth Black: career
The first wife of Robert F. Kennedy had studied at the University of Virginia Law School. She briefly worked as a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society. During her tenure as a legal aid society lawyer, her husband at the time was serving as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, but he later resigned after he failed his bar exam.
While working as a Legal Aid Society lawyer, Emily’s purse was snatched by three teenagers as she was walking on the Upper East Side. At first, she did not want to pursue the prosecution of the alleged thieves but she later changed her mind. The three teenagers were caught by a passing cab driver at 92d Street and Fifth Avenue.
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Emily and Robert F. Kenney Jr. married in 1982
Often described as a quiet and reserved midwesterner, Emily and RFK Jr. met at the law library of the University of Virginia while they were both studying law.
On April 3, 1982, their wedding took place in Emily’s hometown at the first Christian church, the same church where she was baptized.
Emily’s wedding dress was specially designed for her by Phyllis of the House of Bianchi. The classic candlelight gown had a high regina neckline, long fitted sleeves, and a lace-covered bodice with a dropped waist.
After the wedding, their guests boarded the double-decker English buses to ride to the University Club for a reception.
The newlyweds headed to the Caribbean for their honeymoon afterward.
Some of the prominent people who attended were Ethel Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Although she was not a Catholic, there were speculations that Emily Ruth Black was to convert to Catholicism.
According to reports, Emily was a sharp contrast to the other women Kennedy Jr. – who was known for his involvement with many glamourous, jet-set women, dated in the past.
The former couple’s love story continued as they welcomed two children Francis Kennedy III (40) and Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy “Kick”( 36).
“Although having children brings immense happiness, Emily’s marriage began to face challenges that eventually led to a separation in 1992 and divorce finalized in 1994. Many sources claim the marriage ended due to his womanizing and substance abuse problems.
Besides women issues, he was arrested and charged with heroin possession two years after they married. So, during the marriage, he was in and out of rehab.
According to an interview she had with New York magazine, Emily revealed her ex-husband is a good father but a terrible husband. Less than a month after they divorced, the American politician married Mary Richardson, who would later commit suicide in her home.
After his second wife passed, Kennedy married the Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines.
What happened to Emily Ruth Black after the marriage ended?
After getting divorced, Emily Ruth disappeared from public view. Meanwhile, her ex-husband entered politics and became involved like most members of the Kennedy family. He began contemplating a run for political office in 2000, and in 2005, he was even considered the front-runner for the 2006 New York attorney general election. However, he ultimately decided not to pursue the candidacy.
Going forward, on March 3, 2023, Robert Kennedy Jr. revealed he was considering running for president in 2024, and on April 5, 2023, he filed his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the fifth member of his family to run for the presidency of the United States as an independent on October 9, 2023.
