Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reveals He Used to Snort Drugs ‘Off of Toilet Seats’: ‘Not Scared of a Germ’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is opening up about his past struggles with drug addiction.

The secretary of health and human services, 72, appeared on the Thursday, February 12, episode of the This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von podcast and revealed he met host Theo Von through recovery meetings.

RFK Jr. — who was 9 years old when his uncle John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and 14 when his father Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 — has long struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.

The politician revealed that he and Von, 45, have been “in recovery together for years,” adding that he’s personally been in recovery for 43 years.

“Yeah, that’s where we met each other at 7 a.m. meetings,” the comedian replied, to which Kennedy pointed out that they were shut down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the world being on a complete lockdown for the health and safety of the American people amid the deadly global outbreak, the country’s current health and human services secretary said his group “still did live meetings every day during COVID.”

Kennedy explained that about 15 people in his recovery group moved from their preexisting space to the Theatre Palisades, which no longer exists after being burned down during the 2025 Southern California wildfires.

“It was kind of a pirate group,” Kennedy said. “I said I don’t care what happens. I’m going to a meeting every day. I said I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.”

If he didn’t stay in recovery meetings, Kennedy explained, “I know this disease will kill me. If I don’t treat it — which means, for me, going to meetings every day… It’s just bad for my life. So for me, it was survival.”

He also said “the opportunity to help another alcoholic” is the “secret sauce” to staying sober.

Kennedy has previously opened up about his struggles with addiction, including use of heroin.

According to the Associated Press, Kennedy told attendees at a 2025 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Nashville that he was addicted to heroin for 14 years, beginning when he was a teenager.

“Every addict feels that way in one way or another — that they have to fix what’s wrong with them, and the only thing that works are drugs,” he said. “And so threats that you might die, that you’re going to ruin your life are completely meaningless.”