- The claim that U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once testified that brain damage prevented him from holding a job remains under investigation.
- The rumor stems from a 2024 New York Times report that cites a 2012 deposition Kennedy reportedly gave in the context of divorce proceedings from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, who died by suicide that year.
- The Times’ story said Kennedy argued in his deposition that his alleged brain damage caused cognitive issues that impaired his ability to make a living. It’s worth noting that the report did not state that Kennedy specifically claimed he could not hold a job.
- According to the Times, Kennedy said in his deposition that a parasitic worm ate part of his brain. He appeared to confirm this in an X post he shared during his 2024 presidential campaign. Further, his campaign reportedly confirmed he had a dead worm in his brain but had made a full recovery.
- While we found a document that appeared to be part of the aforementioned divorce proceedings, we could not find the deposition The New York Times referenced in its 2024 story. For this reason, we’ve left the claim unrated.
- Snopes will update this report if and when additional information surfaces. We have reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment and await a response.
In late summer 2026, a rumor circulated that U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once sought to avoid paying alimony by claiming during divorce proceedings that severe brain damage prevented him from holding a job.
The claim appeared on Threads and Facebook. One post on X said Kennedy had asserted he “was too brain damaged to work so therefore couldn’t pay alimony.” (archived):
Snopes readers also searched the website and emailed us to confirm the veracity of the rumor.
The claim stemmed from a 2024 New York Times report that cites a 2012 deposition Kennedy reportedly gave in the context of divorce proceedings from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, who died by suicide that year.
According to the newspaper, Kennedy said in his deposition that his brain damage “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.”
We found one document that appeared to be part of these divorce proceedings, but we could not find the deposition the New York Times referenced in its 2024 story. While we have no reason to doubt the veracity of the Times’ reporting, Snopes relies on primary evidence, including documentation, to rate claims. For this reason, we’ve left the claim unrated until we learn more.
We reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment and await a response. We also asked the Times to direct us to the deposition and will update this story if we hear back.
The Times’ story said Kennedy argued in his deposition that his cognitive issues impaired his ability to make a living. It’s worth noting that the report did not state that Kennedy specifically claimed he could not hold a job. The report stated:
Some of Mr. Kennedy’s health issues were revealed in the 2012 deposition, which he gave during divorce proceedings from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy. At the time, Mr. Kennedy was arguing that his earning power had been diminished by his cognitive struggles.
Kennedy appeared to confirm there was a worm in his brain in an X post (archived) he shared during his 2024 presidential campaign. However, his post boasted that his cognitive state was still superior to that of his competitors — then-former President Donald Trump and then-President Joe Biden.
“I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate,” he wrote.
Further, his campaign reportedly said he had a dead worm in his brain but had made a full recovery.
The document we found was a 2011 affidavit by Kennedy in which he alleged his second wife had physically abused him, stolen from him, abused his children from a previous marriage and threatened to commit suicide. However, this document, which was published by Newsweek, did not include any information about Kennedy’s alleged brain damage affecting his earning power.
For further reading, Snopes has investigated numerous quotes attributed to Kennedy, including the claim that he once said infertility was genetic.
