Maria Shriver Sends Love to Cousin Caroline Kennedy After She Says RFK 'Would Be Disgusted' by His Son RFK Jr.

• Maria Shriver, JFK's niece, expressed support for cousin Caroline Kennedy following her scathing letter about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• Caroline made a number of allegations against Bobby, including that he led relatives into addiction, engaged in animal abuse and capitalized off his family tragedies.

• RFK Jr.’s first confirmation hearing to become the secretary of health and human services began at 10 a.m. ET on Jan. 29, less than 24 hours after Caroline’s letter was made public.

Maria Shriver, the niece of John F. Kennedy, is supporting her younger cousin Caroline Kennedy after the diplomat published a scathing letter against another of their cousins, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Caroline's letter to senators, which called Bobby a "predator" who is "addicted to attention and power," was made public on Jan. 28, one day before his confirmation hearings began for the position of United States health secretary.

In a post to X, Shriver, 69, shared a photo of Caroline, 67, next to JFK's book Profiles in Courage, for which Bobby's father, Robert F. Kennedy, wrote the original foreword and Caroline later added an introduction.

"Courage is when you do something hard, heartbreaking, and painful... and you do it anyway," Shriver wrote. "Love you, Caroline. Always have, always will."

Related: Maria Shriver Dines with Kennedy Cousins: 'I Never Had a Sister, but These Two Have Made Up for That'

In Caroline's letter, which she read aloud in a video posted by her son, Jack Schlossberg, the former U.S. ambassador to Australia made a number of accusations against Bobby.

Referencing his history of substance abuse, Caroline alleged that he guided other family members into addiction.

“It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets, because Bobby himself is a predator. He’s always been charismatic — able to attract others through the strength of his personality, his willingness to take risks and break the rules,” Caroline claimed. “I watch his younger brothers and cousins follow him down the path of drug addiction."

Caroline continued: “But siblings and cousins that Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness and death, while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie and cheat his way through life.”

Bobby's brother, David Anthony, and his niece Saoirse Kennedy Hill both died of overdoses.

Bobby's cousin also accused him of acts of animal abuse, including allegedly "showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks," which she called "a perverse scene of despair and violence."

And she claimed that Bobby has taken advantage of the "desperation of parents of sick children" to gain popularity, noting that — despite peddling anti-vaccine conspiracy theories — he vaccinated his own children.

Related: Caroline Kennedy's Takedown of RFK Jr. Ahead of Confirmation Hearings 'Is Shocking,' Says Family Source (Exclusive)

Caroline's final point referenced recent news that the records of her father's assassination — as well as those of RFK and Martin Luther King Jr. — would be released by President Donald Trump.

Caroline said her cousin "continues to grandstand off my father's assassination, and that of his own father."

“It’s incomprehensible to me that someone who is willing to exploit his own painful family tragedies for publicity would be put in charge of America’s life and death situations,” she said.

“But I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby — who gave their lives in public service to this country — and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his long senate career to the cause of improving health care, would be disgusted."

Related: JFK’s Grandson Jack Schlossberg Says Declassified Assassination Files Disprove ‘Lies’: ‘The Truth Is Sadder than the Myth’

Following the release of Caroline's letter, a source close to the Kennedy family told PEOPLE that her actions were "shocking," especially for her, whom they described as "so, so private."

The source also said they believed Caroline was encouraged to speak out by her son, Schlossberg, who has been extremely vocal in his denouncement of RFK Jr.

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RFK Jr.'s first of two confirmation hearings began at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 29, less than 24 hours after Caroline's letter was made public. His second is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30.

If the Senate Finance Committee recommends him for the position, then the full Senate — which is controlled by Republicans in a 53-47 split — will vote on whether to approve his nomination.

Kennedy needs more than 50% of the Senate's support to be confirmed, and Vice President J.D. Vance will serve as a tie-breaker vote in the event of a 50-50 split.

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