Cheryl Hines faces rift with friends over RFK Jr. support

Cheryl Hines, the actress best known for playing Larry David’s on‑screen wife on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has found herself increasingly at odds with longtime friends and colleagues after publicly defending and aligning with her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. Hines has acknowledged that the rift has affected personal relationships, saying she has not spoken with David since a season finale screening in April 2024 and attributing the distance to politics.

The tension has risen amid Hines’s frequent media appearances promoting her memoir and speaking in support of Kennedy, whose public statements and policy positions on vaccines and other health issues have drawn controversy. During a recent daytime television appearance, Hines defended her husband’s record and expertise; on other programs and podcasts she has described him as “very, very smart” and a graceful leader. Hines also told interviewers that she does not want her friendships to suffer because of her marriage and that she remains family oriented.

Friends, former collaborators and industry insiders said they were surprised by what they...