Joan Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy, died at the age of 89 on Wednesday.
Her son, Patrick Kennedy, and his wife, Amy, confirmed Joan's death in a statement. Joan's marriage to the Lion of the Senate was fraught with scandal and public scrutiny given her husband's infidelity and lifestyle. She divorced Kennedy in 1983.
"Mrs. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, and a quiet pioneer in publicly addressing challenges with alcoholism and depression at a time when few others would," Patrick and Amy Kennedy said.
"Her courage and candor helped break stigma and inspired others to seek help and healing. Her impact on the arts, mental health advocacy, her beloved Boston community, and the nation will be remembered by many," the statement added.
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Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, and she stood by him through arguably the most severe scandal of his career, the Chappaquiddick accident. In 1969, he plunged his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
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Kennedy was able to swim to safety, and he waited hours before contacting police. He later pleaded guilty to charges of fleeing the scene of a crash.
Joan's estrangement from her husband was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then and would divorce three years later. One bumper sticker from the campaign read, "Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy."
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised his aunt on X, describing her as a courageous, humble woman who broke taboos by openly confronting her struggles with alcoholism and depression, inspiring others through her honesty, recovery, and generosity.
"My beloved aunt Joan Bennett Kennedy, former wife of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), classical pianist, music teacher, and advocate for mental health and addiction services, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday at the age of 89," he wrote. "She was my friend, confidante, and my partner in recovery. Joan inspired me with her courage and humility.
"She was one of the first prominent women in America to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression, a move that she felt was essential to breaking the silence and tackling the taboo of addiction in the 1970s," Kennedy continued. "Her honesty and candor, and her ability to successfully recreate her life in Boston, a community that supported her privacy and embraced her recovery, made her an inspiration to countless other women facing similar challenges. She encouraged many family members in early sobriety.
"At age 25, in 1962, Joan was the youngest wife of a U.S. Senator in United States history. She was a kind and generous aunt to me and my 27 cousins," Kennedy added. "She was the last survivor of an extraordinary generation of Kennedys. We all feel grateful for the time God gave us with her."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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