The Kennedys: After Camelot, Ep. 6 -- Joan

Joan Kennedy's death October 8 at age 89 marked the end of an era that became known as Camelot, the 1960s golden age of the family's influence.

Gone are the glory days of Camelot and its last survivor. Joan Kennedy - gone but not forgotten.

This special episode of my history book club "The #Kennedys: After Camelot" takes a look back at the remarkable -- and often troubled -- life of Joan Bennett Kennedy.

For all of her many blessings, it seemed that the curses far outnumbered them. One tragedy after another befell Joan in quick succession. The assassinations of #JFK and #RFK; #Chappaquiddick, and their 12 year-old son Ted Jr.'s cancer diagnosis all happened within a single decade.

Unable to cope with the stress of it all, Joan sought solace in a bottle. She was in and out of rehab for #alcoholism while at the same time expected to keep up appearances publicly during her husband Sen. #TedKennedy's political career, support him during his 1980 presidential campaign, as well as silently tolerate Ted's absenteeism from home, his womanizing, and his own drinking problem.

We will also discuss Ted and Joan's 1981 divorce, her lingering love for Teddy even years after their parting, how Joan navigated the tricky territory of Ted's request of a secret Vatican annulment of their union, and his remarriage to Vicki.

Even after the divorce, Joan remained a valued member of the #Kennedy clan. She closely bonded with RFK and Ethel's troubled son David and tried to help him with his addictions, even staging a family intervention meeting. Joan was heartbroken when David succumbed to an overdose in 1984.

In 2005, Joan was found injured and alone on a Boston street in the rain, apparently after a drunken fall. In this episode we will unravel the bitter family feud that followed when Joan's children obtained a court ordered guardianship over Joan's affairs, and the ugly battle they waged to gain control over her $9 million dollar estate.

Join me for this remembrance of #JoanKennedy in this reading and discussion of J. Randy Tarraborrelli’s book “The Kennedys: After #Camelot.”

Listen to every episode of “The Kennedys: After Camelot” history book club series here.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXBcSYiYQxlfmKsmC90spusOEuGehKdp7&si=Sy1Tm1THhSTsrxD_