How RFK Jr's Sexting Scandal Drove Kennedy Matriarch Ethel to Grave: Failed Politician's Olivia Nuzzi 'Fling' Was 'Last Straw for Sick Mom'

Frail family matriarch Ethel Kennedy was driven to the grave by the embarrassing exploits of her black sheep son Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sources claimed.

Revelations of Bobby's recent sex scandal along with his bizarre beliefs and humiliating antics was said to break the fabled Ethel's heart even as the rest of the Kennedy clan turned against him, family insiders revealed.

Said a source: "It killed Ethel to see the Kennedy legacy shredded to tatters by Bobby."

Ethel. 96, had already endured so much tragedy in her heartbreaking life, including having both her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, and brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, killed by assassins' bullets.

She was gutted to see her 70-year-old son drag the fabled family name through the mud, sources said.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, RFK Jr.'s ill-fated third-party 2024 presidential candidacy, news he had dumped a dead bear in New York's Central Park, his revelation he had worms in his brain, and his unfathomable support for the parole of his father's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, all sparked public condemnation from members of the Kennedy clan, especially after the married rogue was caught in a new sex scandal involving a prominent female reporter.

While widow Ethel remained silent through all the embarrassment, insiders said her heart was broken over her son's estrangement from the family.

Perhaps the crowning blow came when reports surfaced Bobby was two-timing his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, 59, with the journalist as well as his having the numbers of 43 mistresses listed in his phone.

Charged another source: "Seeing news of Bobby's involvement with reporter Olivia Nuzzi being played out in the press was the final straw that ultimately broke her."

"While Ethel blamed [her late husband] Bobby and [brother-in-law] Jack for setting bad examples with their womanizing, she still felt responsible for Junior's conduct.

"She carried a lot of guilt around about Bobby and what he'd become. It wasn't healthy."

A medical expert said the stress caused by Bobby's escapades could very well have contributed to Ethel's death — even though both he and Nuzzi insisted they never had sex.

Nuzzi claimed they exchanged racy, suggestive texts.

"The family stress is certainly an aggravating factor to make her health worse," said Florida-based longevity specialist Dr. Gabe Mirkin.

“Severe stress can aggravate any disease and increase the consequence of any illness or condition a person has."

Tragically, Ethel suffered a stroke in her sleep on October 3, following the height of RFK Jr.'s sex scandal and roughly a month after the former Democrat shockingly endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a man whose immigration policies had driven Ethel to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Said the family insider: "Bobby's constant betrayals whittled away at her health. In the end, it was the final nail in her coffin."

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