Many people wonder if Jason Kennedy, the host of E! News and Live from E!, has any connection to the famous Kennedy family that produced one of the most iconic presidents of the United States, John F. Kennedy. The answer is no, Jason Kennedy is not related to John F. Kennedy by blood or by marriage. Here is why.
Contents
Jason Kennedy’s background and career
Jason Kennedy was born on December 11, 1981, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to parents Robert and Cheryl Kennedy. He has one older brother, Ryan. He attended Westminster Academy, a Christian school, where he developed a passion for journalism and broadcasting. He graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science in 2004.
He moved to Los Angeles and began working for the TV Guide Channel as a correspondent and host of Open Call. He joined E! Network in 2005 and became the host of E! News in 2012. He also hosted Dance Machine on ABC in 2008 and Live from E! since 2013. He is known for his interviews with celebrities and his coverage of entertainment news.
John F. Kennedy’s background and legacy
John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, to parents Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was the second of nine children and belonged to a prominent Irish Catholic family that was involved in politics and business. His father was a wealthy financier and diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. His mother was the daughter of John F. Fitzgerald, a former mayor of Boston.
He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in international affairs in 1940 and joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He commanded a series of PT boats in the Pacific theater and became a war hero after surviving the sinking of PT-109 and rescuing his crewmates. He suffered from chronic back pain and other health problems as a result of his injuries.
He entered politics after the war and served as a U.S. representative from Massachusetts from 1947 to 1953 and as a U.S. senator from 1953 to 1960. He married Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953 and had four children: Caroline, John Jr., Patrick, and Arabella (who died shortly after birth). He won the Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage in 1957.
He became the 35th president of the United States in 1961 after defeating Richard Nixon in a close election. He was the youngest person elected to the office and the first Catholic president. He faced several foreign policy challenges, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the Vietnam War. He also initiated domestic programs such as the Peace Corps, the Alliance for Progress, and the New Frontier. He advocated for civil rights, space exploration, nuclear disarmament, and social welfare.
He was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union and returned to the U.S. He was shot while riding in an open-top limousine with his wife and Texas Governor John Connally. He died at Parkland Hospital at age 46. His death shocked the nation and the world and sparked numerous conspiracy theories.
He is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential presidents in American history. His charisma, eloquence, vision, and courage inspired generations of Americans and people around the world. His legacy lives on through his family, his speeches, his policies, his achievements, and his ideals.
Jason Kennedy and John F. Kennedy share a common surname, but they do not share a common ancestry or lineage. They belong to different branches of the Kennedy family tree that originated from different regions of Ireland.
According to Ancestry.com, Jason Kennedy’s paternal ancestors came from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, while John F. Kennedy’s paternal ancestors came from County Wexford in Southern Ireland. They migrated to America at different times and settled in different states.
Jason Kennedy’s paternal great-great-grandfather was William J. Kennedy (1849-1929), who was born in County Tyrone and immigrated to Pennsylvania around 1870. He married Mary Jane McElroy (1852-1926) in Philadelphia in 1872. They had eight children, including Robert J. Kennedy (1884-1965), who was Jason Kennedy’s paternal great-grandfather.
Robert J. Kennedy married Anna Mabel Smith (1888-1976) in Philadelphia in 1908. They had four children, including Robert J. Kennedy Jr. (1914-1996), who was Jason Kennedy’s paternal grandfather. Robert J. Kennedy Jr. married Dorothy Mae Smith (1915-2009) in Philadelphia in 1937. They had two children, including Robert J. Kennedy III (1941-2010), who was Jason Kennedy’s father.
John F. Kennedy’s paternal great-great-grandfather was Patrick Kennedy (c. 1823-1858), who was born in County Wexford and immigrated to Massachusetts around 1849. He married Bridget Murphy (c. 1824-1888) in Boston in 1849. They had five children, including Patrick Joseph Kennedy (1858-1929), who was John F. Kennedy’s paternal great-grandfather.
Patrick Joseph Kennedy married Mary Augusta Hickey (1857-1923) in Boston in 1887. They had four children, including Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. (1888-1969), who was John F. Kennedy’s paternal grandfather. Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1890-1995) in Boston in 1914. They had nine children, including John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), who was John F. Kennedy’s father.
Therefore, Jason Kennedy and John F. Kennedy are not related by blood or by marriage. They are distant cousins at best, but the exact degree of their kinship is unknown and probably insignificant.
Conclusion
Jason Kennedy and John F. Kennedy are both successful and famous personalities in their respective fields of journalism and politics, but they do not share a family bond or a common heritage. They have different backgrounds, origins, and histories that shaped their lives and careers. They are not related to each other, despite having the same last name.
