NEWSWhy Comedian Tig Notaro 'Stepped Away' From 'Favorite Friend' Cheryl Hines Over Her Marriage to RFK Jr.
Comedian Tig Notaro addressed why she 'stepped away' from her friendship with Cheryl Hines and how Hine's husband, Robert Kennedy Jr., played a major role.
Oct. 16 2025, Published 3:28 p.m. ET
Comedian Tig Notaro is speaking out on what led to the end of her years-long friendship with Cheryl Hines.
“Cheryl’s married to Bobby Kennedy Jr. [better known as RFK Jr.] When he was announcing his run, I just felt like I needed to step away,” Notaro, 54, explained during an appearance on the “Breaking Bread With Tom Papa” podcast on Tuesday, October 14. “Because there are beliefs that were like a gnat on the arm years ago that were getting further into the spotlight.”
Tig Notaro Recounted Friendship With Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines and Tig Notaro formerly co-hosted the podcast 'Tig & Cheryl: True Story.'
Notaro and Hines, 60, formerly co-hosted a podcast titled “Tig & Cheryl: True Story” from 2020 to 2023, where they invited celebrities to share their perspectives on documentaries.
“It was fun to have to watch a documentary every week, but also we took the pressure off, because we would ask each other things like, ‘Who are you attracted to in this documentary?'” Notaro recalled.
The comedian called Hines her “favorite friend to be ridiculous with,” adding, “We made each other laugh so hard.”
Tig Notaro 'Stepped Away' From Cheryl Hines Friendship
Tig Notaro's friendship with Cheryl Hines stalled in 2023.
Their friendship stalled after Hines’ husband — who serves as acting Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump's administration — stirred controversy with his anti-vaccine views and revealed plans to run for office as an independent in 2023.
“My friendship with Cheryl predated her marriage to Bobby,” Notaro explained of her friend, who married Kennedy, 71, in 2014. “He was in environmental law. And again, other beliefs he had were like a gnat on my arm. But then it started to grow, and Cheryl wanted me to hear Bobby out. … And then he endorsed Trump, and then it just got hard.”
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Tig Notaro Said Cheryl Hines Brought Her 'So Much Joy'
Tig Notaro said her former friendship brought her 'so much joy.'
Kennedy ultimately withdrew from the race in the summer of 2023 and threw his support behind Trump, 79, who went on to secure a second term.
“It’s really sad, because it did bring me so much joy,” Notaro said about the podcast. “And Cheryl did bring me so much joy. But that’s what I’m looking for, is I want to get back to prioritizing people that bring me joy and workloads that bring me joy.”
Cheryl Hines Was Challenged on 'The View'
Cheryl Hines defended her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on 'The View.'
Hines defended her support for her husband during an appearance on The View on October 14. The actress explained her spouse’s decision to support Trump was “complicated,” noting they agreed after the men realized they “have a lot of common goals.”
“For Bobby to, in the course of a year and a half, two years, go from a Democrat to now working with President Trump — that’s a leap,” Hines admitted. “But also it’s a leap of faith.”
