Who Is Kick Kennedy? All About RFK Jr.'s Daughter (Who’s Been Linked to Ben Affleck)

Though a source told PEOPLE that Kick Kennedy had been "spending time" with Ben Affleck, the actor's rep said the rumor was untrue

As the eldest daughter of six siblings and a descendant of Robert F. Kennedy, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy has continued to uphold the iconic American family's legacy.

Kick was born four years after her brother, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy III, in 1988 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his first wife, Emily Ruth Black. She grew up in New York as one of six children but eschewed a path in politics that much of her family chose to go down.

Instead, Kick started her career as a performer, having pursued acting after graduating from Stanford University. Though she had a few roles shortly after graduation, Kick has mainly focused on a career in philanthropy.

Related: All About Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 6 Children

Most recently, Kick, 36, made headlines after a source told PEOPLE she was getting to know Ben Affleck, 52, after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from the actor on Aug. 20, 2024. Although another insider said, "I don't think they even know each other. There's definitely nothing going on."

The following day, Affleck's rep confirmed to PEOPLE that the two were not dating.

So who is Kick Kennedy? Here's everything to know about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s eldest daughter.

She was named after her great-aunt

Kick was born Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy on April 13, 1988, but was nicknamed Kick, just like her great-aunt, Kathleen "Kick" Agnes Kennedy (who was the sister of late President John F. Kennedy).

Kathleen was remembered as having an adventurous and outgoing personality, per the 2016 biography Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter. However, Kathleen had a major rift with her family when she married Billy Hartington, a Protestant, causing her Catholic parents to turn her away. After she died in a tragic plane crash in 1948 at just 28 years old, no one from her family attended her funeral.

Like Kathleen, Kick had an adventurous spirit from a young age; she told Town & Country in a 2012 profile and was traveling across the world, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and rafting in the Grand Canyon while still in college. Unlike Kathleen, however, Kick said she has a more supportive family.

"I always thought Dad and I were the same person, but I got fascinated by Kick a few years ago, and it's funny how similar we are," she said. "She was fun and social and a performer in many ways."

"Of course, I don't think my parents would ever call my own death divine retribution. Well, maybe if I became a Republican," she joked.

She was raised in a home of six siblings

Kick is one of six siblings. She and her older brother, Bobby, were born to RFK Jr. and Black. However, the couple split in 1994, at which point RFK Jr. remarried to Mary Richardson. The pair went on to welcome four children — Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, Aidan Kennedy and William "Finn" Kennedy — before their split in 2010. In 2012, Richardson died by suicide.

In the wake of Richardson's death, Kick flew home from college at Stanford University to spend time with her siblings. Now, she continues to have a close relationship with all five, participating in various fundraisers and charities with them, including speaking with Conor at the 50th anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign in Mississippi in May 2018.

Kick has always been very adventurous

As the daughter of a master falconer, Kick grew up with a love for animals and the environment, as well as exploring it. While she was a student at Stanford studying history, she hiked Mount Kilimanjaro with actors Emile Hirsch and Jessica Biel in an effort to raise awareness of the water shortage crisis.

She told Resident in 2014 that she grew up always surrounded by animals, including "dogs and cats and chickens and alligators."

"I thought it was pretty normal to run around the woods building forts with my crow that was trained to say 'Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy' or have an alligator wound, etcetera," she said. "My classmates were quick to correct me. I think they were a little off-put."

She started her career as an actress

Though Kick majored in history, she knew she wanted to work in acting while she was still in college. Following graduation, she landed a few minor roles in Gossip Girl and The Newsroom, and even an episode of her stepmother Cheryl Hines' Curb Your Enthusiasm before she began dating RFK Jr.

Though Kick was splitting her time between New York and Los Angeles in hopes of finding her big break, she admitted to Town & Country that it wasn't fame she was seeking.

"I was born with a sticker — a name — that has made me totally uninterested in the fame factor of success," Kick said. "I see all my actor friends really going for it in that way because it's such a big part of the job, but it kind of turns me off. I'm frightened of it, or at least uninterested, unamused."

Kick is now a philanthropist

Kick mainly stopped acting after 2012, instead focusing on a career in philanthropy. She is passionate about finding a solution to water shortages and other environmental causes, having grown up with her father, who is passionate about the environment.

"I've been really connected to water issues since I can remember, as my father made it his passion," she told Resident. "We knew what PCPs were before we knew how to tie our shoes. I've also spent so much time on the water, whether it's sailing with friends and family or doing a river cleanup on the Hudson."

She was rumored to be spending time with Affleck in August 2024

Just days after her father dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, Kick made headlines for her rumored connection with Affleck. The reports also came just days after Lopez filed for divorce from the Gone Girl actor.

Multiple sources told PEOPLE that Kick and Affleck were getting to know one another, with one saying the two are “in the same scene," adding that "Kick’s celeb crush has always been Ben.”

The source also described Kick as a "partier" who "likes to have a good time." However, a different source told PEOPLE that there's nothing between the two.

The next day, Affleck's rep denied the rumors in a statement to PEOPLE.

"There is no truth to any of it. I don't know if they even know each other,” Jen Allen, Affleck's spokesperson, said.

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