Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Under Fire For Resurfaced 'Animal Cruelty' Photo

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing an unexpected hiccup in his bid to become the next President of the United States.

The environmental lawyer-turned-presidential candidate recently got called out for posing with the barbecued remains of a dog. He was accused of "reveling in animal cruelty," a crime that showcased his alleged "poor judgment" and "thoughtlessness."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been fighting to gain ground against Joe Biden and Donald Trump in this year's presidential election.

The drama surrounding Kennedy Jr. began after Vanity Fair's bombshell exposé dived into his past, revealing damning allegations against him from animal cruelty to sexual assault.

In the report, a 2010 picture of Kennedy Jr. and an unidentified female friend resurfaced, showing the pair posing with the barbecued remains of a dog and pretending to eat it. He reportedly shared this disturbing image with a pal ahead of their trip to Asia.

Alongside the picture, the 70-year-old allegedly suggested that the friend take a page from his book and eat dog during their visit to Asia — a move journalist Joe Hagan vehemently bashed in the exposé, per RadarOnline, writing:

"The picture's intent seems to have been comedic – Kennedy and his companion are pantomiming – but for the recipient, it was disturbing evidence of Kennedy's poor judgment and thoughtlessness, simultaneously mocking Korean culture, reveling in animal cruelty, and needlessly risking his reputation and that of his family."

The allegations against Kennedy Jr.'s character continued with the report citing a 1998 sexual assault claim. The politician was accused of sexually assaulting his children's then-babysitter.

The alleged victim, Eliza Cooney, claimed Kennedy Jr. abused her during a meeting in the family's kitchen that year. She was 23 while he was 44 at the time when he "groped" and "slid" his hands along her "rib cage and breasts."

"In the back of my mind, I was hoping it wasn't what it actually was," Cooney said of the alleged incident. The exposé also claimed the presidential candidate had a penchant for cheating, a suspected sex addiction, plus a dairy detailing his various sexual conquests.

The bombshell exposé isn't the only report painting Kennedy Jr. as a poor presidential candidate, as his closest family members have supported President Joe Biden over him.

Following the 70-year-old's independent campaign announcement in the fall, the Kennedy family expressed their disapproval in a joint statement, claiming his move would ruin the country. In their words:

"The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision, or judgment."

"Today's announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country," the Kennedy family concluded.

Although he may not have the Kennedy family's support, it was not enough to push the politician into becoming a vice president.

In January, The Blast reported the environmental lawyer-turned-presidential candidate refuted the viral speculations about joining Donald Trump's campaign.

Several reports claimed the politician would join Trump as his vice president in the ongoing election for the next U.S. head; however, Kennedy Jr. begged to differ when asked about the rumors at the season 12 premiere of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

He seemed to have addressed the speculations privately with his wife, Cheryl Hines, who he pointed to while quipping: "I don't think that my marriage would survive it." Kennedy Jr. doubled down on false rumors, adding that he only wished to run for president.

Apart from running for president, Kennedy Jr. made waves in November 2023 for filing a restraining order against an intruder. The Blast covered the story, sharing that a man had attempted to break into the politician's Los Angeles home.

It was unclear where Kennedy Jr. was when the incident happened; however, his wife confirmed she was home. Hines was the one who spotted the man trespassing in their yard and fortunately escaped any harm thanks to the couple's security team.

The bodyguards successfully secured the intruder until the cops arrived and arrested him. However, the man didn't learn his lesson and was arrested following his second attempt to invade Kennedy Jr.'s home around 1:30 a.m.