Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of the late US Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy, has died at her Boston home at the age of 89. Her death was confirmed on 8 October 2025 by the Associated Press and the Boston Globe, with her sons describing their mother as a 'quiet pioneer' in mental health advocacy.
Kennedy's passing marks the end of a life that was both extraordinarily public and intensely private. For decades, she was known as a member of one of America's most famous political dynasties, whilst also facing widely reported struggles with alcoholism, mental health challenges, and periods under legal guardianship.
