11. The sister of John F. Kennedy, who explained away her absence nonchalantly as her being highly reclusive, Rosemary Kennedy was forcibly lobotomized and institutionalized by her family
The younger sister of President John F. Kennedy, who served as the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963, Rose Marie Kennedy, commonly known as Rosemary, experienced complications during her birth in 1918. Forcing her head to remain in the birth canal for two hours, Rosemary suffered a harmful loss of oxygen causing intellectual disability. Carefully concealed from the public and even extended family, Rosemary, despite having a reportedly low IQ of just 70, was capable of living an ordinary life. Obtaining a diploma from a two-year community college, Rosemary even traveled with her father during his tenure as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Becoming increasingly rebellious against her controlling father, at the age of twenty-three Rosemary became one of the first victims of the prefrontal lobotomy. Performed on her father’s consent only, with her mother not informed until after the fact, Rosemary was forcibly strapped to the surgical table. Instead of “curing” her mental illness, Rosemary suffered almost fatal brain damage. Reduced to the mental capacity of a two-year-old, she was rendered unable to walk or talk. Immediately institutionalized in a private hospital, she was never seen again by her father whilst John explained away her absence during his presidential campaign without mention to his family’s horrific actions.
Related: 16 Examples of the Kennedy Curse.