The marriage between Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mary Richardson Kennedy ended with the tragic suicide of Mary. And now more sordid and horrific details are emerging about this unhappy pairing. This couple seemed like they had it all -- a storybook marriage against the background of Kennedy power and wealth -- but behind the scenes, it sure was a different story.

Last year, Bobby Jr. filed an affidavit against Mary. In it, he said she was abusive, repeatedly threatened to kill herself, and even ran over his dog, killing it. What?! Then Bobby seemed to make a crucial mistake in the relationship, which was that the more "abusive" and distraught his wife became, the more he decided to fix things by -- cheating on her. Double what?! Oh, these Kennedys.

Bobby paints a loving portrait of their courtship, saying Mary was "stunningly beautiful, with pitch-perfect taste, electric charm, and a genius for friendship." But things started to go south even before they were married. At one point, Bobby claims that Mary, pregnant with their first baby, punched him after becoming enraged about his friendship with his first wife. Not a good sign. By 2003, he says he started an affair that lasted three years, and ended it after Mary tried to kill herself. Another bad sign. You'd think this would keep his pants zipped for awhile, but no. He then had a series of other flings. The affidavit reportedly implies that Bobby had these affairs to escape the marriage and that Mary's behavior had driven him to them.

Oh, come on. This is the oldest trick in the book, blaming your affairs on your wife. When Mary found out about them, she predictably became even more unhinged. Robert says that at one point, she told their son:

He is a demon. He is the most evil kind of man in the world. Everything he does is evil and a fraud. He is a philanderer, an adulterer, a sex addict.

Um, and ...? I'm not getting the feeling she was too far off base. I get being miserable and feeling trapped in a relationship. But having affairs isn't going to make your partner a more reasonable person. Quite the opposite.

Mary's family says that Robert's accusations are "vindictive lies" and "psychological abuse." Mary is no longer around to tell her side of things, and there are always two sides to every story. But Robert admits he had numerous affairs, and certainly this is no way to conduct a marriage. Though perhaps in the Kennedy family, it is.

What do you think of Robert's accusations?


Image via Getty