Actress Cheryl Hines said in a recent interview with Dr. Phil McGraw that her husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at one point suggested the couple publicly claim they were separated to reduce the political backlash she was facing. Hines said she did not consider doing so.
In an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, actress Cheryl Hines described the strain that public controversy surrounding her husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has placed on her personal life.
Hines said Kennedy suggested at one point that they could publicly claim they were separated — an idea she characterized as a “fake” separation — with the aim of redirecting political attacks away from her. When McGraw asked whether she had considered the idea, Hines replied: “Well … Things got really intense. I didn’t consider it.”
Hines also said Kennedy drew heavy criticism for his views on vaccines during the COVID-19 period, including opposition to vaccine mandates, and that she was often pulled into the backlash. She said some people questioned how she could remain married to him, and that others refused to spend time with her, telling her: “I can’t be around you because you’re married to him.”
Hines said she rejected the notion that political disagreements should determine the fate of their marriage. “I didn’t marry him because of his politics. Why would I leave him because of his politics?” she said.
Kennedy became secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in February 2025, and his appointment has drawn continued scrutiny because of his long-running and controversial posture toward vaccines.
