Ethel Kennedy, the 96-year-old widow of Robert F. Kennedy Sr., suffered a stroke and was hospitalized last week, her relatives announced Tuesday.
The Kennedy family matriarch and mother of former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suffered a medical emergency in her sleep on Thursday.
“She was taken to a local hospital and is currently receiving treatment,” her daughter Rory Kennedy said in a statement posted to X.
“She is comfortable, receiving the best possible care, and surrounded by her family,” she continued, adding that her family is “watching over her.”
“Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers,” read a statement shared by other Kennedy relatives.
The oldest living member of the Kennedy family, Ethel had 11 children with Robert, a New York senator who was assassinated in June 1968 while running for president.
She gave birth to her youngest son, Rory, after his murder and soon founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a nonprofit charity in his memory.
In addition to raising her children single-handedly, Ethel devoted much of her life to public service, focusing on causes such as the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Project in Brooklyn.
She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2014 for her public service.
“As you know, she is a strong woman who has lived a very full life,” the Kennedy family said in a statement. “We're here taking care of her.”
They also said she had a wonderful summer spending every day with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at the Kennedy Compound in Massachusetts, where she lives.
“She was able to go out to sea, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with her family,” the statement said. “It was a gift to all of us and to her as well.”
Several of Ethel and Robert Sr.'s children and grandchildren went into government, holding positions in Congress and state government. Most recently, his scandal-hit son RFK Jr. ran as an independent in the 2024 election, but dropped out in favor of Republican Donald Trump.
The Kennedy family has asked for privacy as Ethel remains hospitalized.
