Kennedy Tells CNN He Chose Recovery Over Reelection

In a CNN exclusive interview to air May 22, former Rhode Island District 1 Congressman Patrick Kennedy shares with chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta the reasons behind his decision to not seek reelection to a ninth term, his struggles with mental illness and addiction, growing up under the pressures of the Kennedy family’s political dynasty, his father’s death in 2009 and legacy, and his new philanthropic mission to help fund medical research into various brain disorders. 

Described by CNN as a “deeply personal and wide-ranging discussion,” the interview with Kennedy is said to also share his candid remarks about battling depression as a member of the family political dynasty, as well as about his half-dozen times in rehabilitation centers. 

“I felt like a loser...I felt like...‘I’m not living up. What a shame.’ You know, ‘I’m a shame on my family by needing – treatment, for getting mental health treatment,” Kennedy reportedly tells Gupta in the documentary.

Kennedy also speaks about how the 2009 death of his father, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), renewed his depression and addictive behaviors, and also led to his decision to not seek re-election to a ninth term in Congress.

The interview will air as a new documentary, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Patrick Kennedy – Coming Clean, on Sunday, May 22 at 7 p.m. locally.

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