Who Is Kick Kennedy? Meet RFK Jr.’s Daughter and Ben Affleck’s New Friend

Ben Affleck has been spending time with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter, Kick Kennedy, amid his recent divorce from Jennifer Lopez.

The pair was spotted at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel and other hotspots, according to Page Six.

Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, on Tuesday, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. The date of separation was listed as April 26.

Although the nature of Ben and Kick’s relationship is currently unclear, here’s everything you need to know about the Kennedy spending time with the Oscar winner.

Family

Kick, 36, is RFK Jr.’s eldest daughter and the second of his six children.

With his first wife, Emily Ruth Black, the former independent presidential candidate welcomed Kick in April 1988 and her brother, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy III, in September 1984. He later had four more children—Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, William “Finn” Kennedy, and Aidan Kennedy—with his second wife, Mary Kathleen Richardson.

Her full name is Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy, but she earned the nickname Kick from her great-aunt, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy—sister of President John F. Kennedy—who tragically died in a plane crash in 1948 at the age of 28.

In a 2012 interview with Town & Country, Kick mentioned that she believes she is “similar” to her ancestor.

“I always thought Dad and I were the same person, but I got fascinated by Kick a few years ago,” she explained. “She was fun, social, and a performer in many ways.

“Of course, I don’t think my parents would ever call my own death divine retribution,” Kick joked at the time. “Well, maybe if I became a Republican.”

Education

Kick attended Stanford University after graduating from high school, where she studied history and theater.

She furthered her acting education at the Lee Strasberg Institute in West Hollywood.

Career

Kick pursued a career in the arts, particularly in acting and writing.

Over the years, she has taken on small roles in various projects, including acting alongside her stepmother, Cheryl Hines, in Curb Your Enthusiasm and playing herself in Gossip Girl.

Most recently, Kick appeared as a “lazy tourist” in the 2021 film Fear and Loathing in Aspen.

In addition to her work in front of the camera, Kick is an activist who shares her father’s passion for environmental causes, particularly water issues. In a 2014 interview with Resident, she mentioned that she “knew what PCBs were” before she learned how to tie her shoes.

Romantic History

From 2013 to 2014, Kick was romantically linked to Harper Simon, the son of musician Paul Simon.

She later dated billionaire bank heir Matthew Mellon for a few months until his untimely death in 2018 at the age of 54. At the time, Kick’s manager told PEOPLE, “She is heartbroken, shocked; she didn’t see this coming. She is devastated and will not be making any comment.”