“I’m not gonna pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true,” Pratt said of RFK J
Chris Pratt is opening up about his positive experiences with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger’s cousin.
The Marvel star appeared on the Monday, Aug. 18, episode of Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. During the chat, he discussed his wife, Katherine, and her well-known family, including RFK Jr.
Katherine Schwarzenegger, 35, is the daughter of Maria Shriver and the granddaughter of Eunice (née Kennedy) Shriver. Eunice was the older sister of Robert F. Kennedy Sr., which makes Maria, 69, and Bobby, 71, first cousins. That makes Katherine and Bobby first cousins once removed.
Pratt shared that he has spent some time with Bobby in family settings. “In a strictly family dinner kind of vibe. And I really got along with him well,” Pratt said.
“I think he’s great,” the 46-year-old added. “I think he’s funny. I like him. I love him.”
Pratt also talked about the harsh side of politics. “I’m not in politics, obviously, but there’s a certain level to this in Hollywood, because Hollywood itself is a political institution. I’ve seen how the person you are can be such a contrast to the person that people are being told that you are, and you can go, ‘Wow, that is pure fiction,’” he said.
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He continued, “The person that you are can sometimes be very different from what your enemies say you are. In politics, you inherit enemies.”
Pratt mentioned Kennedy’s role as Health and Human Services Secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration. “When you jump on the bandwagon with who is the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you’re going to be made to look terrible,” Pratt said.
Pratt explained that when he spends time with Kennedy, it’s mostly casual. “We’re usually just playing cards or Mafia or having fun or having dinner. I’m not gonna pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true. I just kind of assume that none of them are, and for the most part, I wish him well.”
He added, “There’s certain things [that Bobby] oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way — like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food. I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing.”
Pratt said he doesn’t want to be so focused on hate that he misses positive outcomes. “There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”
Since becoming Health and Human Services Secretary, Kennedy has worked on his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. One of his goals is reducing ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins, which he claims cause chronic diseases in children.
Kennedy has also been a vocal anti-vaccine advocate, promoting the disproven idea that vaccines cause autism, and making claims about measles vaccines containing “fetus debris.” He has criticized seed oils as “poison” and the overprescription of medications like antidepressants.
Although Pratt did not endorse Kennedy’s MAHA, family members, including Bobby’s siblings and cousins, have publicly criticized him.
In January, before Kennedy was confirmed for the cabinet position, Caroline Kennedy criticized him for promoting conspiracy theories and supporting Trump. She wrote to the Senate calling him “addicted to attention and power” and “unqualified” to lead health policy.
Katherine Schwarzenegger’s mother, Maria Shriver, shared support for Caroline’s comments on X. Maria also highlighted Caroline’s connection to JFK’s book, Profiles in Courage.
Maria’s brothers, Anthony K. Shriver and Timothy P. Shriver, also responded to Bobby’s remarks about autism in April. Their mother, Eunice, had founded the Special Olympics in 1968 in honor of her sister Rosemary Kennedy, who was born with intellectual challenges.
