It was highly requested so here it is: just the gist of the Kennedy family! A basic breakdown of how they came to the US from Ireland, how they became one the wealthiest and most powerful political families in America, and who a bunch of the notable family members (and connections) have been, and are, today.

Since I've told a couple of 'Kennedy Family' themed episodes of Just The Gist, (gisten to The Chappaquiddick Incident here and JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Kennedy here), quite a few Gistners asked me to strip it back even further and give just the gist of the general family history. And that's on me! My weird hyperfixation meant I assumed people knew more about this than they do, and one of the major rules at Just The Gist is no assumed knowledge!

So consider this Kennedys 101. The basics of what you need to know about them to understand any of our Kennedy-themed episodes. And ooft there's a lot of them - John F. Kennedy and Jackie O, Bobby Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Maria Shriver, Chris Pratt, Big Edie and Little Edie from Grey Gardens, Patrick Schwarzenegger, RFK Jr., Jack Schlossberg…We go from an Irish farmer in 1845 to The White Lotus in 2025 and Trump's White House in 2026 - it's all in there bébé. Well, just the gist of it.

We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's Breakin' Nooz, JTG After Show AND Bonus eps! You can access them by joining the Gistener Club via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Premium Subscriptions.

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Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Producer and Host: Rosie Waterland | Senior Producer: James Joseph | Senior Editor: Sammy Petersen | Producers: Kate Leaver and Hayley Staveley | Acast Legend: Guy Scott-Wilson | Production Assistant: Pocket

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The Kennedy Curse (James Patterson, 2020)

Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed (Maureen Callahan, 2024)

Just The Gist of The Chappaquiddick Incident (Just The Gist, 2026)

Just The Gist of JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (Just The Gist, 2026)

American Experience: The Kennedys (PBS, 1992)

American Dynasties: The Kennedys (CNN, 2018)

A Battle With My Blood (The New Yorker, 2025)

Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder (NBC News Studios, 2025)

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