**JFK’s Surprising Advice to Brother Ted on His Wedding Day Resurfaces Following Joan Kennedy’s Passing**
*Published October 8, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET*
On the day Senator Ted Kennedy was set to marry his bride, Joan Bennett, his older brother, John F. Kennedy, reportedly offered some unexpected advice: “remember to cheat.” This shocking comment has recently resurfaced following Joan’s death at the age of 89, revealing a glimpse into the private moments of the Kennedy family.
### What Did Joan Kennedy Overhear?
According to RadarOnline.com, JFK’s joking advice to Ted was intended to be a private, sibling remark. However, Joan is believed to have overheard the comment while watching a video of their 1958 wedding. Author Adam Clymer, in his biography *Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography*, explains that the future president apparently forgot that both he and Ted were wearing microphones to capture the wedding day, leading to the unintended eavesdropping.
### Joan’s Hesitation About Marriage
Joan reportedly had reservations about marrying Ted. She and her father, Joe Bennett, had even postponed the wedding for a year because, in Joan’s own words, “I didn’t have the feeling I wanted to marry him.” Despite this, according to Clymer, Joe was insistent and “bullied everyone into following through as planned.”
### The Marriage’s Turbulent Course
Joan seemed to sense that the marriage might not endure. She and Ted eventually separated in 1982, with the author citing Ted’s struggles with drinking and suspected womanizing as major factors behind the broken marriage.
Unlike Joan, who chose not to remarry, Ted found a second chance at happiness years later.
### Ted’s Second Wife ‘Saved’ Him
In 1992, Ted married Victoria Reggie Kennedy, who had a profoundly positive influence on his life. An insider shared, “Vicki saved Ted’s life. They fell in love, and she brought him back from the brink and got him to stop drinking. He had to stop or Vicki would have left him.”
Victoria also supported Ted through some of the darkest moments of his life, including the tragic death of his nephew, John F. Kennedy Jr., in 1999. According to sources, Vicki convinced Ted to seek psychiatric help for the first time:
“When John died, Ted was crushed and wanted to die. Vicki was unfailing in her love. But Ted was so depressed. Finally, she told him to get help. Ted couldn’t go back to the Senate in this condition. He couldn’t even leave the house. So he agreed.”
Her unwavering support helped Ted to regain his strength and continue his political career.
### The Final Years and Legacy
Ted Kennedy passed away in 2009 at the age of 77 due to a brain tumor. Now, 16 years later, his first wife Joan has also passed away. Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, confirmed in an obituary that Joan “passed away peacefully in her sleep” at her Boston home on October 8.
Joan endured significant hardship throughout her life. Beyond the challenges she faced during her marriage, she suffered the heartbreak of seeing two of her three children diagnosed with cancer.
Her son Ted Jr. was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 11 in 1973. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, doctors eventually amputated his right leg to save his life.
Her eldest child and only daughter, Kara Kennedy, was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 42 in 2002. She underwent risky surgery to remove part of her lung, which was initially successful; however, Kara tragically died of a heart attack at age 51 in 2011.
### The Kennedy Curses Continue?
The Kennedy family has long been associated with tragedy and loss, often referred to as the “Kennedy curse.” Joan’s passing, coupled with the illnesses and early deaths in the family, adds another somber chapter to this enduring legacy.
As the Kennedys navigate their personal losses, Joan Kennedy’s story remains a poignant reminder of the complexities and hardships behind one of America’s most famous political families.
https://radaronline.com/p/jfk-told-brother-ted-to-cheat-on-wife-joan-wedding-video/