Rory Kennedy, Daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Director of 'Queen of Chess,' Has 10 Siblings
The siblings were divided on the parole of their father's murderer.
Published Jan. 22 2026, 2:17 p.m. ET
Rory Kennedy, a director and producer who works primarily in documentaries, directed the Netflix doc Queen of Chess, which premieres on Feb. 6, 2026. She is the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, and the niece of the late President John F. Kennedy.
Robert F. Kennedy, Rory's father, was one of nine siblings. He and Ethel went on to have 11 kids total, born between 1951 and 1968, with Rory being the youngest. Their names are: Kathleen, Joseph II, David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas, RFK Jr., and Rory.
Ethel was pregnant with Rory when RFK was killed.
Many of Rory Kennedy's siblings got involved in politics.
Kathleen, RFK Jr., Michael, Kerry, and Max all graduated from law school, according to People. Kathleen ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland and became the first Kennedy to lose an election. She later became the first female lieutenant governor of Maryland.
Joseph served in the House of Representatives for Massachusetts for five terms and attempted a run for governor. He was unfortunately involved in an accident that paralyzed an 18-year-old girl in August 1973. He was found guilty of negligent driving, but only fined $100.
Joseph founded and is the chairman of the company Citizens Energy.
Courtney served as a U.N. representative in Europe for pediatric aids. She also taught elementary school and helped fundraise for the R.F.K. memorial.
RFK Jr., of course, entered the presidential race in 2024 but dropped out and endorsed Donald Trump. He now serves as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Kerry became a human rights activist and is now the president of the non-profit Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
Max Kennedy is a lawyer and a writer, and Christopher, who opted out of politics, is a businessman.
Two of Rory's brothers passed away.
Rory's siblings suffered the sudden and violent loss of their father at a very young age. Unfortunately, more tragedy befell the family.
Rory's brother David died from a drug overdose in 1984. He was also involved in his brother Joseph's car accident, and he was the boyfriend of the girl who became paralyzed. He began taking opioids for his injuries in the accident, which led to a heroin addiction.
Michael worked with Joseph at Citizens Energy. His wife allegedly found him in bed with their underage babysitter in 1992, which led to the couple's divorce. He was investigated for statutory rape, but the prosecutor didn't press charges.
Michael passed after a deadly skiing accident in 1997.
RFK's children disagreed about the parole of their father's killer.
Sirhan Bushar Sirhan, who was convicted of RFK's murder, served 53 years before he was granted parole in 2021. Douglas and RFK Jr. advocated for Sirhan's release. However, Joe, Courtney, Christopher, Kerry, Max, and Rory were upset and disappointed by the decision, saying that it "inflicted enormous additional pain" on the family.