Politics

Billy Baldwin Slams Former Friend RFK Jr.—Again

‘HALF A MAN’

This is not the first time the actor has criticized his one-time pal.

(L-R) Robert Kennedy Jr. and William Baldwin.
Sylvain Gaboury/Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic

On Wednesday, in another heavy-handed quip against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., actor Billy Baldwin laid bare his thoughts on his old pal—criticizing him yet again for his alleged treatment of his late wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy.

“Bobby Kennedy was my friend,” Baldwin wrote on X Wednesday evening, hours after Kennedy’s confirmation hearing for his health secretary nomination. “Our friendship didn’t end when he abandoned his political integrity for Trump. It ended when his lovely wife Mary died.” Richardson died by suicide in May 2012.

“Had he protected her during that difficult time she might still be with us,” Baldwin continued.

“And as his cousin Caroline stated, he’s a ‘predator,’” he added, referring to a letter Caroline Kennedy sent to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, where she described her cousin as such and urged the Senate to reject his nomination.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. (C), daughter Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy (L), and actor Billy Baldwin (R) attend Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas' wedding ceremony at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral on June 30, 2012 in New York City.
Robert Kennedy, Jr. (C), daughter Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy (L), and actor Billy Baldwin (R) attend Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas' wedding ceremony at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral on June 30, 2012 in New York City. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

While Baldwin and Kennedy had been friends for decades—the two were even pictured together at the 2012 wedding of Billy’s older brother Alec Baldwin to Hilaria Thomas—the Backdraft actor disclosed in a 2024 X post that their relationship has since fizzled out and that he “completely” disavows and dissociates himself from Kennedy.

He then slammed the MAHA vanguard for endorsing Trump’s presidential candidacy, describing it as “political cowardice” and a “betrayal of the values and traditions of the Kennedy family.”

Wednesday was not the first time Baldwin has commented publicly on Kennedy’s relationship with Richardson. In a 2023 post on X he claimed that if Kennedy had been “half a man” then Richardson “would still be alive today.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and William Baldwin during Creative Coalition Awards Honor Kenneth Cole and Whoopi Goldberg at Pierre Hotel in New York City, New York, United States.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and William Baldwin during Creative Coalition Awards Honor Kenneth Cole and Whoopi Goldberg at Pierre Hotel in New York City, New York, United States. Ron Galella/Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

“This is Mary Richardson Kennedy. Robert Kennedy’s 2nd wife and mother to four of his six children,” Baldwin wrote at the time alongside an old photo of the couple. “She was an incredible woman. A wonderful mother, wife and activist. Sadly she is no longer with us.

“She cried on my shoulder about Bobby numerous times at their former home on Bedford Road, my former home on Chestnut Ridge Road, at the Canaan Ridge School and the Saw Mill Club,” Baldwin continued. “If Bobby were half a man she would still be alive today. It will all come out. His campaign will be over in weeks. If these walls could talk.”

On Tuesday, Mother Jones magazine published an explosive report detailing secret recordings Kennedy made of conversations he had with Richardson throughout their divorce.

In one June 2011 recording obtained by the outlet, Kennedy could reportedly be heard telling his wife that the reason he cheated on her several times was because he was being “abused at home.”

The recordings were reportedly used in a 60-page affidavit accusing Richardson of abuse, excessive drinking, violent outbursts, and threatening suicide in front of their children.

Richardson in turn prepared a point-by-point rebuttal where she also made a slew of accusations against Kennedy. After her death however, the rebuttal was never filed in court.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.