Nicole Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin and a lawyer, was reportedly the driving force behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s $7 million presidential campaign ad during this year’s Super Bowl.
Shanahan, who was rumored to have had an affair with billionaire friend Elon Musk and whose divorce from Brin was finalized last fall, revealed that he donated $4 million to American Values 2024, an advertising super PAC. did.
A prominent Democratic donor said: new york times Her donation was specifically intended to cover the cost of a 30-second advertising spot.
Shanahan reportedly helped finalize the ad and resolve legal concerns at CBS Sports and Paramount about the commercial, which closely resembles a famous ad from former President John F. Kennedy’s 1960 campaign. He is said to have contributed to.
“It seems like a perfect opportunity to make the point that he’s running for president,” Shanahan said in an interview with the Times.
When the super PAC’s original Super Bowl ad concept fell through due to concerns that it might violate rules against campaign coordination, Shanahan stepped in with a “small team” to inject ideas into old campaign ads. It is said that it started.
Shanahan told the outlet he had never seen the 1960 Kennedy ad, which was featured prominently in the final product. Legal concerns were reportedly alleviated because the original ad is considered public domain.
Kennedy, 70, is running for president as a third-party candidate. The environmental lawyer has faced intense criticism over his anti-vaccine views, as well as political parties concerned that his presence in the race will hurt the re-election chances of the candidate they support. It has faced harsh criticism from party critics.
Shanahan clarified that he is “not anti-vaxxer,” but acknowledged that he has “questions about the harm caused by vaccines.” She cited President Kennedy’s focus on environmental protection, vaccine safety and children’s health issues as reasons for her support.
She admitted she was “incredibly disappointed” in RFK Jr.’s decision to run as an independent, but ultimately decided to support him anyway.
“I think there is an environmental health crisis in this country,” Shanahan added. “I believe Americans deserve clean water. And we cannot achieve that in the current political climate.”
Shanahan previously donated to President Biden’s campaign in 2020 and gave up to $6,600 to Kennedy’s campaign this election cycle.
President Kennedy apologized to JFK’s relatives Sunday night for an ad that some family members felt was insensitive to JFK’s legacy, saying, “I am truly sorry if my Super Bowl ad caused any pain to any member of my family.” I wrote to X.
“This ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you all,” Kennedy wrote.
Despite the apology, Kennedy still had the ad “pinned” at the top of his X profile as of Tuesday morning.
Shanahan, who married Bryn in 2018, strongly denied the person’s allegations. Wall Street Journal bombshell report She claimed that she and Musk “had a brief affair” in late 2021.
“Elon and I had sex, like a moment of passion, and was that the end of it? No,” Shanahan told People magazine last year. “Were we romantically involved? No, we weren’t having an affair.”
