John F. Kennedy Jr. Allegedly Blackmailed Over Secret Gay Rumors

Author Jerry Oppenheimer revealed shocking claims about John F. Kennedy Jr. being blackmailed by a member of his own family in his controversial 2015 unauthorized biography, RFK, Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream.

In the book, Oppenheimer detailed how John’s close friend, James Ridgway de Szigethy, gave a sworn statement to a member of Congress in 1993, alleging that Kennedy believed his cousin, William Kennedy Smith, was “likely to have committed the rape” in a highly publicized case.

According to de Szigethy, Kennedy expressed his frustrations about his family’s knowledge of Smith’s alleged behavior, saying that “‘they should have done something about Willie years ago when he first started doing this,’ meaning …. raping women.”

William Kennedy Smith is the son of the late Jean Kennedy Smith and her husband, Stephen Smith Jr. Jean was one of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, making her John F. Kennedy Jr.’s aunt and William Kennedy Smith his cousin.

De Szigethy claimed that John confided in him about the pressure he faced to appear in court during Smith’s trial. Kennedy allegedly expressed reluctance to attend, stating that both he and his mother, Jean, were against the idea. De Szigethy recalled advising Kennedy not to attend, believing Smith was guilty, but John revealed that he was being pressured to make an appearance due to undisclosed reasons.

The revelations in Oppenheimer’s book shed light on the complex dynamics within the Kennedy family and the challenges faced by John F. Kennedy Jr. as he navigated his personal relationships amidst public scrutiny.