Judith Exner (11 Jan 1934 – 24 Sep 1999)
Mistress of: John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. Tenure: c. 1960 - 1962. Bastards: None. Fall From Power: They both began other affairs.
The Kennedy family is “one of the most established political families” in the United States so it came as no surprise when John F. Kennedy was elected president, being that he was young, handsome and charming. Kennedy carried on a number of notable affairs, both before and during his time in office. One such paramour was Judith Eileen Katherine Immoor, who began an affair with Kennedy about 1960, after being introduced to him by Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas. She was “stunningly beautiful” and newly divorced –Kennedy was, of course, married – but that didn’t stop him from having an 18-month-long relationship with her.
Judith later claimed that she frequently visited Kennedy in the White House and her account of the affair is supported by various documents, although she was viciously attacked after publishing her revealing memoirs in 1977. Judith also claimed to be the mistress of Sam Giancana, notable criminal in the Chicago Mafia, and later testified that, despite some intriguing evidence otherwise, Kennedy had no ties with the Mob and that she was never involved either. She later changed her story, and in 1988, said in an interview that Kennedy had asked her to contact Sam, serving “as the president’s link with the Mob” for about 18 months, during which time she curried messages regarding plans to assassinate Fidel Castro. She also claimed to have ended a pregnancy by him in 1962.
Following Kennedy’s assassination, Judith isolated herself from all but her closest friends and family. Her later accounts about Kennedy and the Mob (and her involvement) are generally dismissed, and Judith was described as an “unreliable witness” who was prone to depression, paranoia and instability. She was also suffering from breast cancer, of which she died in 1999 in Duarte, California. Prior to her death, Judith remarked that “You don’t have to like me, you don’t have to approve of me. But when you make your judgment, you have to know the truth about me.”
Sources
Two portraits of ” Judith Exner”, one from the 1960s (left image) and another from 1978 (right image).
Safire, William (1999-10-04). "Essay – The President's Friend". The New York Times. ISSN: 0362-4331.
Reeves, Richard. President Kennedy: Profile of Power. New York: Simon & Schuster (1993). ISBN: 978-0-671-64879-4.
