Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says doctors once told him a suspected brain tumor was actually a dead worm.
In a 2012 deposition reported on by The New York Times Wednesday, Kennedy explained how he sought medical care after suffering memory loss and mental fogginess in 2010. The independent presidential candidate was scheduled for a medical procedure after a brain scan revealed a dark spot showing up.
However, prior to the procedure, Kennedy said a doctor from a NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital called and told him that he believed the dark spot was something else — a dead parasite inside Kennedy’s head.
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Kennedy said in the deposition, which was given as part of divorce proceedings, that he was told the spot on the scan “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.”
The wannabe U.S. president with one of the most famous last names in America could split the vote on the November ballot, but it’s unclear whether he would take more votes from President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees.
Kennedy, the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has earned a reputation for controversial views on a variety of subjects. The 70-year-old environmental lawyer is one of the most influential spreaders of conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine misinformation, something that has prompted fierce criticism even from his own family.
According to The Times report, Kennedy said in a previous interview with the outlet that he has recovered from the memory loss and fogginess and did not require treatment.
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In the past, Kennedy has been hospitalized for a condition known as atrial fibrillation, a heartbeat abnormality that increases the risk of stroke or heart failure that can occur in otherwise healthy adults. He said he now believes the condition has disappeared.
His campaign spokeswoman, Stefanie Spear, dismissed the idea that his health issues would have an effect on his fitness on the campaign trail.
“That is a hilarious suggestion, given the competition,” Spear told The Times.