Robert Kennedy’s grandson arrested after allegedly defending gay friend in bar
RFK Jr. claims his son got into a fight after his friend was repeatedly subjected to homophobic slurs
Conor Kennedy, grandson of Robert Kennedy, has been arrested after fighting with someone who allegedly called his friend homophobic slurs.
Robert Kennedy Jr., Conor’s father, told the Aspen Times that: “Conor has always reacted against bullying. I’m happy he stood up for his friend.”
RFK Jr. added that he was “very sorry it turned into a police incident” and that Conor was “not liking the attention.”
The Times reports that Kennedy was in Bootsy Bellows nightclub in Aspen, CO, when the fight broke out early Thursday morning. Four men were apparently using a homophobic slur to describe one of Kennedy’s friends. He asked the men to apologize, but only one did.
At 1:40am, while leaving the club, two of the group allegedly started calling Kennedy’s friend by the same slur. RFK Jr. claims that Kennedy again asked them to stop, one tried to hit Kennedy, and the fight then began.
Kennedy punched the man in the head four or five times, according to officers at the scene. Officers tried to stop the fight, but Kennedy attempted to “pull away from me and stand up,” one of the officers wrote in his report.
Kennedy later apologized, according to Officer Andy Atkinson, telling the officer: “He called my friend the F-word.”
“We are aware of some of those allegations and we are following up on them this evening,” Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said on Thursday. “At the moment, there have been no allegations of additional crimes given by witnesses or those involved in the incident.”
Kennedy’s lawyer released a statement saying he had “rebuked” the men for “directing a homophobic slur and threats to his close friend.”
He has been charged a misdemeanor offense of disorderly conduct/fighting. People reports that he has been released with a court summons, with the date set for February 22.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
