Joan B. Kennedy, former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, died at 89. Her life was defined by a troubled marriage, family tragedies including the assassinations of JFK and RFK, her husband's scandals like Chappaquiddick, and her own struggles with alcoholism and mental health.
Joan B. Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, passed away at 89. A model and classically-trained pianist, she married Ted Kennedy in 1958. Her life quickly became intertwined with the Kennedy family's dramatic highs and devastating lows, including the assassinations of her brothers-in-law, President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Her husband, Ted Kennedy, became a respected senator but also faced personal scandals, most notably the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident where his car plunged off a bridge, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Joan stood by him through this, even experiencing a miscarriage shortly after. Despite having three children, their marriage was deeply troubled by his infidelities and and her personal battles with alcoholism and mental health. Their estrangement became public during Ted's unsuccessful 1980 presidential campaign, leading to their eventual separation and divorce. Born Virginia Joan Bennett, she was a classmate of Ted's sister, Jean Kennedy, at Manhattanville College.
