Biographer Sally Bedell Smith referred to Billings as “probably the saddest of the Kennedy widows.”įollowing the assassination of RFK in 1968, Billings transferred his romantic feeling to Kennedy’s nephew, Bobby Kennedy Jr, to whom Billings would become a “fawning surrogate father and fellow drug user.” Jackie was reportedly upset that her husband spent so much time with Billings and that he often spent the night at the White House.Īfter Kennedy’s assassination, Billings was devastated. There was a fear Russian agents could use the relationship to blackmail Kennedy, says Oppenheimer.
Credit: JFK Presidential Library and MuseumĪfter Kennedy was elected president, Billings was a constant presence at the White House, and advisers were concerned about possible political repercussions. Kennedy pictured at the Kennedy family’s Palm Beach estate.
