Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Claims a Worm 'Got Into My Brain' and 'Ate a Portion of It' Before Dying
May 8 2024, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Controversial independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed a worm "got into my brain" and "ate a portion of it" before dying, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Kennedy revealed in a 2012 deposition related to his divorce that brain scans revealed a "dark spot" that was initially believed to be a tumor before a second opinion suggested it was actually a "dead parasite."
On Wednesday, The New York Times' Susanne Craig reported Kennedy consulted several top neurologists in 2010 after he began experiencing "memory loss and mental fogginess."
Kennedy was concerned by his symptoms given his late uncle, Ted Kennedy, died of a brain cancer in 2009.
After meeting with doctors, Kennedy underwent a brain scan. Several physicians — many of whom either treated or spoke with his late uncle — noticed an unusual "dark spot" in Kennedy's scans, which they believed was a tumor.
Kennedy was scheduled to undergo an operation at Duke University Medical Center by the same doctor who operated on his uncle; however, while preparing for the trip, he was contacted by another doctor at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital who had a far more bizarre explanation for the "dark spot."
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"The doctor believed that the abnormality seen on his scans 'was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died,'" Kennedy explained in his 2012 divorce deposition.
Around the same time that he learned of the possible parasite in his brain, Kennedy was also diagnosed with mercury poisoning, which was likely contracted from eating too much fish containing high levels of mercury.
"I have cognitive problems, clearly," Kennedy said at the time. "I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me."
Kennedy told the outlet that he's since recovered from his cognitive issues and the parasite required no additional treatment.
When his campaign was asked whether his health issues would impede his ability to act as president, campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear scoffed at the notion, "That is a hilarious suggestion, given the competition."
While Kennedy has presented himself as physically fit, he has a history of serious health concerns in addition to the alleged parasite. The independent candidate has battled atrial fibrillation for decades.
Atrial fibrillation is a common heartbeat abnormality that increases the risk of stroke or heart failure. Kennedy has been hospitalized on at least four occasions related to the condition, though he told the outlet in 2023 that he believed the condition disappeared as he claimed he hadn't experienced an episode in over a decade.