Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago but has made a full recovery, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported on the ailment.
Kennedy “travelled extensively in Africa, South America and Asia in his work as an environmental advocate, and in one of those places he contracted a parasite,” press secretary Stefanie Spear told Reuters.
“The problem was resolved more than 10 years ago and he is in good physical and mental health,” he said.
Citing a statement from 12 years ago, the Times said Kennedy claimed a doctor had told him that an abnormality in his brain scan “was caused by a worm that entered my brain, ate part of it, and then died.”
The 2012 statement came during divorce proceedings from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, the Times reported, as he argued that his earning power had been diminished by his cognitive struggles.
Mary Richardson Kennedy committed suicide in 2012, while she and Kennedy were fighting for custody of their four children.
Kennedy, who will compete for the White House in November against former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden, could capture 8% of voters nationwide, a Reuters/Ipsos poll in March showed.
“Questioning Mr. Kennedy’s health is a hilarious suggestion, given his competence,” Spear said.
(Reporting by Heather Timmons; editing by Jonathan Oatis)