Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has admitted to snorting cocaine off toilet seats during a candid interview on Theo Von's podcast, This Past Weekend. The 72-year-old former presidential candidate made the confession while discussing his lack of fear of germs, attributing it to his past drug use.
'I'm not scared of a germ,' Kennedy said on Thursday. 'I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.' The cabinet member, who has been open about his history with addiction, met Von during 7am recovery meetings in Los Angeles. Those meetings stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Kennedy said he and a group of 'pirate' recoverees held in-person meetings despite restrictions.
Kennedy has spoken extensively about his 14-year heroin addiction, which began after his father, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968. He was arrested for heroin possession in 1983 and pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge, receiving two years' probation and community service. He has since achieved 43 years of sobriety, crediting the arrest as 'the best thing that could have happened.'
During the podcast, Kennedy emphasised the importance of daily recovery meetings for his survival. 'I know this disease will kill me, right? Like, if I don't treat it, which means for me going to meetings every day, it's just bad for my life. For me, it was survival,' he said. He has previously stated that his policies are informed by his addiction history, stressing the need for personal responsibility in staying sober.
