Who Is Kick Kennedy? Everything to Know About the Actress Linked to Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy were spotted on the town together.
And with the appearances—coming amid The Town star’s breakup with Jennifer Lopez after two years of marriage—soon came multiple reports that there was something romantic happening between Ben and Kick.
However, those close to Ben were quick to shut down romance speculation before it could get too loud.
As the Gone Girl alum’s rep told E! News, “Everything about him and Kick is untrue.”
The confirmation came in addition to a source with knowledge previously noting that “they only know each other in passing,” and that they are “not romantically involved.”
The romance rumor arrived less than a week after Ben and Jennifer’s two-year marriage came to an end. On Aug. 20, the This Is Me… Now artist filed for divorce from the 52-year-old, citing irreconcilable differences and listing their date of separation as April, 26 2024.
But who exactly is Kick? Here’s everything to know about the 36-year-old at the center of headlines.
How Is Kick Kennedy Related to the Kennedy Family?
Kick is the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who made headlines this year after ending his presidential bid and endorsing former president Donald Trump.
She is one of RFK Jr.’s six children: Kick and Robert “Bobby” Kennedy III’s mom is Emily Ruth Black, and they’re half-siblings with Conor Richardson Kennedy, 30, Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy, 29, William Finbar Kennedy, 26, and Aidan Caohman Vieques Kennedy, 23, whom RFK Jr. shares with his second ex-wife Mary Richardson.
Conor, Kick’s half-brother, previously dated Taylor Swift in 2012. Of meeting the Grammy winner, Kick told the New York Post in 2014, “She’s really sweet. It was a moment, really. But we always have exciting things going on—exciting people to meet.”
Where Did Kick Kennedy's Nickname Come From?
Kick’s unusual moniker also comes from the Kennedy side of her family.
Her father’s aunt, Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington—sister to President John F. Kennedy—also went by “Kick.”
As she joked to the Post in 2014, “[No one] calls me Kathleen except the TSA and the Department of Motor Vehicles.”
What Roles Has Kick Kennedy Played in Her Acting Career?
According to her IMDb profile, Kick has appeared in a few of movies and TV shows over the years, in addition to working in modeling.
On the small screen, the Kennedy has appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO’s The Newsroom and even a few episodes of Gossip Girl in 2010. She’s also appeared in films Teacher of the Year and Fear and Loathing in Aspen.
Kick has also taken to the stage. In 2014, she starred in an off-Broadway, modern retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone.
At the time, she told the Associated Press of the opportunity, “I'm really lucky. I've grown a lot just studying this part and I hope I can do it justice. I couldn't really ask for a better story to tell right now. It's just sort of magical that everything fell into place."
Who Has Kick Kennedy Dated?
In 2014, Kick dated Harper Simon, the song of musician Paul Simon.
At the time, Kick reflected on bringing her then-boyfriend to meet her grandmother Ethel Kennedy, one of JFK’s sisters.
“Harper came to the Cape,” she previously told the Post. “He’s a very charming guy, and he sang for my grandmother, which she loved—and then he was ordered to sing every night after that, which he didn’t love. My grandmother likes performance and music, and she sometimes demands it. And you can’t really say no to Ethel, so I made sure he brought his guitar.”
Kick was then linked to Matthew Mellon, a member of the prominent Mellon family, for four months in 2018 before he died while traveling to a drug rehabilitation facility in Mexico.
At the time, Kick’s modeling manager Christine Schott told People, “She is heartbroken, shocked, she didn’t see this coming. She is devastated and will not be making comment.”
What Has Kick Kennedy Said About Her Family?
While Kick hasn’t weighed in on her father’s bid for the Oval Office, she has made the occasional comment over the years about what it’s like living life with the Kennedy surname.
"People ask me, 'What's it like to be a Kennedy?'" She told Town and Country in 2012. "Maybe it's just the temperature of the water, but I'm just like, 'I have no idea.' When I see my face or name in the tabloids, I get a knot in my stomach. It's just not me—it's reading something that's not real."
So when it came to her acting career, fame was never the draw.
"I was born with a sticker—a name—that has made me totally uninterested in the fame factor of success," she added to the outlet. "I see all my actor friends really going for it in that way because it's such a big part of the job, but it kind of turns me off. I'm frightened of it, or at least uninterested, unamused."
So when Antigone came around two years later, she had longterm hopes of what the production would prove. "Hopefully one day people will come see me for something that doesn't have to do with my last name," she told the AP. "For me, it's just two different things. This is a job. That is my life."
And on the infamous yet alleged Kennedy family curse, which has seen many of her family members to an early grave?
"We're an ambitious family and there are a lot of us,” Kick noted. “And with a lot of numbers comes some painful things here and there, and also a lot of joyful things.”
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