Inside Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Feuds With Maria Shriver, Caroline Kennedy and More

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been caught up in plenty of feuds over the years.

A prominent anti-vaccine activist, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services falsely claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine was the "deadliest vaccine ever made." Amid the pandemic, he repeatedly criticized former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci and accused him of profiting off the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

"He owns half the patent for the Moderna vaccine and will get royalties on it," Kennedy Jr. alleged.

On the other hand, Fauci dismissed the claims and told a news outlet, "That's completely and totally incorrect. I don't have any idea why he said that but I can tell you that it's absolutely, unequivocally and completely incorrect."

In November 2021, Kennedy Jr. published The Real Anthony Fauci, in which he painted Fauci as the villain. He then claimed the physician "caused a lot of injury" when he declined to provide ivermectin and other unapproved COVID-19 treatments to the public.

"[W]e racked up the highest death count in the world," he told Jesse Watters in an interview. "We only have 4.2 percent of the globe’s population, but we had 16 percent of the COVID deaths in this country, and that is … that was from bad policy. There's … countries that did the opposite of what we did — that provided ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, other early treatments to their populations — and had 1/200th of our death rate."

Kennedy Jr.'s repeated COVID-19 claims led Instagram to ban him multiple times.

Kennedy Jr. squabbled with Sean Hannity during a 2023 appearance on the program Hannity.

At the time, the Fox News host told the former independent presidential candidate he "did a little research" on him, mentioning Kennedy Jr.'s political positions and liberal views.

"You have a litany of talking points from statements I've made over 40 years. Some of them are stale. Some of them I never said. But, you know, what is your question? Why is the Democratic Party — why I'm not running for the Democratic Party?" he asked Hannity, who pushed back as he was reportedly cited Kennedy Jr.'s own positions from 2018.

The host then talked about other issues, asking his guest, "Why did they kick you out? I'm not sure why the Democratic Party wouldn't allow you to compete."

"Do you want to read talking points from the Trump campaign?" Kennedy Jr. responded.

"Excuse me. These are not talking points. These are called Hannity points," Hannity said. "I do my own research."

The environmental lawyer also became embroiled in bitter feuds engulfing his family, especially when he was pulled into a dispute with his cousin Caroline Kennedy.

In January 2025, John F. Kennedy's daughter wrote a scathing letter to senators ahead of RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearings to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. She called him a "predator" who is "addicted to attention and power" and "unqualified" for the position.

"It's incomprehensible to me that someone who is willing to exploit his own painful family tragedies for publicity would be put in charge of America's life and death situations," she shared, in part. "Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father, but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public service to this country, and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his long Senate career to the cause of improving health care, would be disgusted."

Months later, Caroline released a statement to New York Magazine, acknowledging her family had drastically changed.

"Just to state the obvious though it seems often underweighted these days — there are now more than 100 adults in our family so it’s pretty different than in the past," she said.

While Maria Shriver did not directly attack RFK Jr., she supported Caroline's criticism and praised her for speaking out against their cousin.

"Courage is when you do something hard, heartbreaking, and painful… and you do it anyway. Love you, Caroline. Always have, always will," she tweeted.

In addition to slamming RFK Jr.'s vaccine views and other controversies, several members of the Kennedy family were also vocal when he announced his presidential run.

"I strongly condemn my brother's deplorable and untruthful remarks last week about Covid being engineered for ethnic targeting," said Kerry Kennedy. "His statements do not represent what I believe or what Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights stand for, with our 50+-year track record of protecting rights and standing against racism and all forms of discrimination."

Kerry later backed Joe Biden, calling him a "champion of all the rights and freedoms that [her] father and uncle stood for."

"The Kennedy family endorses Joe Biden for president," she added.

Former Congressman Joseph Kennedy II added after the Biden endorsement rally, "We cannot do anything that in any way, strips even one vote from President Biden. You put the name Kennedy on the ballot and Democrats are going to feel torn. We are trying to make them understand that this is an issue that they do not have to feel torn about."

Joseph Kennedy III, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Rory Kennedy, Stephen Kennedy Smith, Jack Schlossberg and Bobby Shriver also publicly criticized RFK Jr.

The family drama resurfaced when reports claimed RFK Jr. had reportedly not been invited to Tatiana Schlossberg's funeral.

"RFK Jr, will not be invited, and the family made that decision intentionally. They are trying to shield the kids and manage their grief without extra public scrutiny or controversy," a source told Rob Shuter's Substack page.

Tatiana, who died on December 30, 2025, at the age of 35, previously slammed RFK Jr. in a New Yorker essay.

"I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby, in the face of logic and common sense, was confirmed for the position, despite never having worked in medicine, public health, or the government," she wrote. "I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers; slashed billions in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the world's largest sponsor of medical research; and threatened to oust the panel of medical experts charged with recommending preventive cancer screenings."