Mary Richardson Kennedy

Mary Kathleen Richardson Kennedy (née Richardson; October 4, 1959 – May 16, 2012) was an American interior designer, political fundraiser, and philanthropist. A proponent of green building and co-founder of the Food Allergy Initiative, the largest fund for food allergy research in the United States, Richardson was regarded as an effective and resourceful fundraiser. She worked on Democratic campaigns, including Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential bid and Joe Kennedy's congressional campaign in 1986. Educated at Brown University and later the Rhode Island School of Design, she also briefly worked at Andy Warhol's Factory in New York. Richardson was married to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and their legal separation in 2010 was highly publicized. Her 2012 suicide also received significant national attention.

Early life and education Mary Kathleen Richardson was born on October 4, 1959, and was raised in Hoboken, New Jersey. Her father, John F. Richardson, who died when she was 12 years old, was an attorney and a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology. Richardson had four sisters and two brothers. She later pursued studies in architectural design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Career When Joe Kennedy founded Citizens Energy in 1979, Richardson designed, wrote, and produced the organization's first annual report and created its logo, which remains in use today. Following flood damage to her home in 2003, Richardson oversaw a massive salvage job and green rebuild project known as the Kennedy Green House Project.

Personal life

Richardson lived in SoHo, Manhattan, in the 1980s, and was active in the bohemian culture. At that time, she was briefly involved with actor John Stockwell. Later in the 1980s, Richardson dated journalist Carlos Mavroleon. For a time, Richardson lived with film producer Michael Mailer.

Marriage and children On April 15, 1994, Richardson married Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a brother of Kerry Kennedy, aboard a research vessel on the Hudson River. They had four children: Conor, Kyra, Aidan and William.

During their marriage, Kennedy was widely regarded as a serial philanderer and was known among his friends for sending explicit nude photos of women that they presumed he had taken, according to Vanity Fair. The highly publicized allegations of sexual assault against Kennedy by the family's then-babysitter, Eliza Cooney, took place during this period.

On May 10, 2010, Richardson called 911 to report that her husband had been verbally abusive to her and her children, according to The Journal News. Police responding to the call reported that Richardson appeared "visibly intoxicated" and had difficulty organizing her thoughts and explaining the reason for the call. The following day, police were again called to the couple's home in response to a "domestic incident." She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge for driving while intoxicated, resulting in a $500 fine, a 90-day license suspension, and court-mandated alcohol education. A subsequent drug-related impaired driving charge from August 2010 was dismissed in 2011 after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence that she knowingly drove while impaired by prescription medication.

Mental health According to reports published by The Daily Beast, Richardson struggled with severe mental health issues for many years, although her friends have pointed to Kennedy's multiple affairs and allegedly abusive behavior as contributing factors. She reportedly attempted suicide twice during the 1980s (in 1985, by suffocation with a plastic bag, and in 1986 by taking an overdose of barbiturates

Death On May 16, 2012, Richardson was found dead in a barn at her home in Bedford, New York. Her death was ruled a suicide by hanging. An autopsy revealed that she had antidepressants in her blood. The medical examiner's report noted her fingers were caught between her neck and the noose, indicating that she struggled to free herself. Upon arriving at the scene, Richardson's sister told Kennedy "you have killed my sister." According to Kennedy, Richardson passed the journal along "to her sisters with instructions that, if anything happened to her, [it should be] published in the press".

Her funeral, organized by the Kennedy family, was held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Bedford. On May 21, 2012, a memorial service organized by the Richardson family was held at the Standard Hotel in Manhattan.

A legal battle between her widower and her brother, Thomas W. Richardson, ensued over which family should have control over her remains. Media at the time reported that Kennedy negotiated to buy fifty plots surrounding Richardson's grave, and this was confirmed when Saoirse Kennedy Hill, Mary's niece, was interred beside her in 2019.