RFK Jr. and Cheryl Hines reportedly looked close on a trip to Serbia. Friends worry she is letting him off too easily, an insider claims.
A trip abroad produced photos that suggest one high-profile marriage has survived a very public mess. Those closest to her are reportedly less convinced than she is.
RFK Jr. and Cheryl Hines were reportedly seen looking affectionate months after the Olivia Nuzzi scandal
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to have patched things up with his wife, though her friends reportedly remain wary. RadarOnline.com reports that Cheryl Hines has taken him back following his alleged digital relationship with journalist Olivia Nuzzi.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, 72, and Hines, 60, married in 2014. Sources described the pair as visibly close during a recent trip to Serbia.
“They were holding hands and kissing while touring Belgrade,” one source said. “They were super affectionate with each other. He had his arm around him and at one point kissed her. They acted like a teenage couple in love, with all his sexting scandals clearly in the rearview mirror.”
Accounts of what happened with Nuzzi still differ. She has maintained the relationship never turned physical, while acknowledging that her communications with the onetime source became personal. A representative for RFK Jr. has said he met her only once, for an interview she requested. The affair rumors have continued regardless.
However, an insider told the outlet that Hines‘ circle has not moved on. “At the end of the day, he completely betrayed Cheryl – no matter how you cut it. Her friends are not ready to let him off the hook for that. They’ll never forget the misery he put her through.”
The same source said her optimism worries them. “It’s lovely to see her smiling again, and she’s assuring everyone he’s changed, that she trusts him completely and they don’t need to worry, but the people closest to her think she’s looking at all this through rose-colored glasses and trying to push reality to one side.”
Moreover, they questioned what would actually keep him accountable. “They’re hearing all these promises he’s making, and yes, he does seem far more attentive and devoted, probably because it gave him the fright of his life when Cheryl was ready to walk away. But there really weren’t any lasting consequences for what happened, so people keep asking how motivated he really is to change.”
The insider added that nobody around her can get through. “They feel like she’s letting him off way too lightly, but Cheryl won’t listen to reason, she’s completely under his spell and anyone that speaks ill of him ends up in her bad books, so there’s not a lot anyone can do.”
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