JFK's secret explosive love affair with flight attendant revealed in book excerpt: The untold story of Joan Lundberg

Time of India

5 hours ago

Image credits: Getty Images
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. However, along with it, he was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected to the esteemed position at 43 years old.
His term as the President of the United States of America has been hailed over the years for the boundless American ambition it consisted of. From tackling the Cuban Missile Crisis to the pledge to go to the moon and his championship of civil rights, Kennedy made himself unforgettable in the hearts of the American people. What remains even more memorable with a bit of pain is his assassination where he was shot while riding a motorcade with his wife Jacqueline Kennedy.
While much is known about the late President's life the excerpt of an upcoming book 'JFK: Private, Public, Secret' has revealed shocking details of JFK's affair with a flight attendant that also led to a pregnancy.
According to the biography by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Kennedy had an affair with Joan Lundberg, a young flight attendant he met in 1956 when he was a senator from Massachusetts and married.
The secret was revealed after Lundberg's family shared her unpublished memoir and personal diaries with the author. The book is a follow-up on his 2023 biography, 'Jackie: Public, Private, Secret'
"Joan was a big revelation for me," the author told PEOPLE.
"She acted as his therapist in many ways. Because she was outside of his Washington circle, he opened up to her — and began to reckon with his flaws."
After adding portions of Lundberg's story and portions of her manuscript to the book, the author said, "You're left with a portrait of a very interesting woman."
John and Joan: A love story?
Image credits: X/@Ang55948340
It was on August 19, 1956, that JFK met Joan, 23, standing in front of a jukebox at The Sip and Surf, a dive bar in Santa Monica, California. In the excerpt the author shared with the publication, Kennedy asked her what she was going to play, to which Joan replied, "I was thinking of Elvis Presley, but what would you like to hear?"
Kennedy's reply to this was that he wanted to hear something "so I can concentrate on you."
Back then, Joan, a single mom of two was working as a flight attendant and cocktail waitress. When Jack asked where she lived, she told him it was in a 'trailer court close by,' not hesitating. 'What the hell's a trailer court?' he asked. She laughed and answered, 'You don't want to know.'
After the pair said goodbye, Joan received a call from the bar owner Pat Dorian and on the phone was Kennedy, asking her "How ah ya?" and revealing that he was leaving the next day for Italy but would return in two weeks.
During this time, Kennedy's marital life was facing turmoil with Jackie giving birth to their stillborn daughter Arabella and having difficulty dealing with it alone.
In early September Kennedy returned to L.A. and invited Joan to a dinner party at his sister Pat and her husband's house. "He lit up the room. People came over just to be near him, his energy magnetic. I thought, well of course, that's the politician in him.
But I soon realized that, no, that's just who he is,' wrote Joan about the night.
At about midnight, the duo drove to a motel and checked in as 'Mr. and Mrs Robert Thompson' and had 'wild' sex, as per Joan. The next morning, Kennedy revealed all about himself to Joan along with the fact that he and Jackie were the product of "an arranged marriage" and it was "fine. Not great, but okay." He also added that his family had turned against him for not being there for Jackie during their daughter's stillbirth.
When asked if he loved Jackie, he said 'I don't know that I love anything. I love politics. I don't know how to love anything else.'
Did Jackie Kennedy know about John and Joan?
Image credits: Getty Images
When Kennedy returned to their abode, Jackie asked him the question: "Who's Trailer Park Joan?" She added how she knew all about 'the divorcee' from his sister. He explained to her that Joan was someone he'd met in LA and while Joan was unclear about how much he told his wife, she wrote that he told her pretty much everything.
What next? Well, his father, Joe Kennedy received a call from a top New York attorney who was representing Jackie in a divorce. Upon a dinner meeting, Joe offered Jackie $100,000 upon the birth of their first child, which she accepted.
Thus, Kennedy and Joan's affair continued with a pained Jackie playing the role of a dutiful wife. By 1957, when Kennedy was being considered for president, he continued his affair with Joan, flying her to meet him on different airlines and covering her expenses.
But after the birth of his first child with Jackie things changed along with Joan finding out she was pregnant. Kennedy later asked her to abort the baby, which she did.
The incident soured their relationship and brought Joan to the conclusion that things couldn't go the same way. 'One thing I want to say to you, Kennedy,' she told him. 'You love Caroline, and I know that, but I'm somebody's daughter, too. Remember that the next time you treat a woman the way you've treated me,' she said to Kennedy on the phone.
One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change