Rarely has there been a politician with such charisma as John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). And the 35th President of the USA shamelessly exploited his charm: As gradually came to light after his assassination on November 22, 1963, JFK had continued his premarital playboy life even during his marriage to Jackie (1929-1994). . His debauched sex acts were among the best-kept secrets in Washington. He had affairs with the most desirable women of his time, such as Joan Crawford (1905-1977), Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917-2016) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993). In contrast, the relationship between Bill Clinton (77) and Monica Lewinsky (50) in the 1990s seemed almost prudish.
John F. Kennedy’s behavior is now viewed as downright misogynistic. Because he took advantage of his power and approached employees and much younger women. Feelings were probably less involved on his part. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan (1894-1986) revealed that Kennedy confessed to him at a meeting in Bermuda in 1961: “I need sex every third day – otherwise I get a headache!” In fact, medication is said to have exorbitantly increased the politician’s already strong libido. Because – and this was Mr. President’s second closely guarded secret – his health had been severely impaired since he was a child. Kennedy suffered from back pain, diarrhea, and constant fatigue. He was later diagnosed with Addison’s disease, an autoimmune disease that damages the adrenal cortex. The pain could only be endured with strong medications and drugs.
Kennedy had already developed a reputation as a playboy while studying politics at Harvard. Despite his Catholic religious affiliation, marital fidelity was not one of his principles. He allegedly whispered to his brother Ted (1932-2009) at his wedding in 1958: “Being married doesn’t really mean you have to be faithful to your wife.” In any case, he is said to have married primarily for career reasons: his father advised him to look for a wife, otherwise he would be labeled as homosexual and could therefore be less successful. The choice fell on Jackie Bouvier, who was twelve years younger than her and who quickly sobered up after the wedding. Her husband was usually conspicuous by his absence – and she is said to have quickly caught wind of his affairs. Even when she suffered a miscarriage, he preferred to lose himself with his loved ones on a yacht in the Mediterranean, according to author Christopher Anderson (“These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie”). In letters to the Irish priest Joseph Leonard, which were later revealed, she lamented her suffering: “He loves the hunt and is bored with conquest.”
However, the numerous affairs – including gangster bride Judith Campbell (1934-1999) and GDR model Ellen Rometsch (87) – not only affected his marriage, but also threatened to become a threat to national security in the middle of the Cold War the FBI noted in its files. The German-born Rometsch, for example, was ultimately expelled on suspicion of espionage. Judith Exner (1934-1999), with whom Kennedy had a two-year affair as a presidential candidate, was a Mafia liaison. And the legendary liaison with sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), who lasciviously breathed “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” on his 45th birthday, also threatened his reputation. JFK and his team therefore did everything in their power to suppress such rumors.
Biographers have so far been able to identify almost 60 mistresses. Some only came forward decades later – Diana de Vegh, for example, who only revealed her four-year affair with the politician during the “Me Too” debate. “I was 20 years old, had a full supply of hormones and was madly in love with this irresistible man,” she said just two years ago. It was only much later that she realized that she had just been taken advantage of. In the end, Kennedy, who was twice his age, dismissed them coldly and simply put them back on the shelf. Only Sophia Loren (89) is said to have resisted his advances. The Italian actress is said to have rejected his advances twice. For JFK, this may have been one of his greatest private defeats. His friend George Smathers (1913-2007), a former senator in Florida, revealed: “He just didn’t take no for an answer and kept going until he wore them down.”
