New York, US
Independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a surprising revelation in a video posted on social media on Sunday (Aug 4), claiming he dumped a dead bear in New York City’s Central Park a decade ago.
In the video, Kennedy confides in actress Roseanne Barr that he did not kill the bear, but rather found it after it was hit by another driver. He put the bear in his car with the intention of skinning it later.
Kennedy suggested that he was sharing this story to preempt an upcoming article in the New Yorker, which had inquired about the incident.
The account coincides with a mysterious event reported by The New York Times in October 2014, where a dead bear was discovered in Central Park near an abandoned bicycle.
The circumstances surrounding the bear’s death and its arrival in the city were never clarified.
Kennedy explained that he encountered the bear during a falconing expedition in the Hudson Valley. His plan was to take the bear home, but the day extended longer than anticipated, leading him straight to a dinner at Peter Luger Steak House in New York City.
Faced with an impending flight and not wanting to leave the bear in his car, he decided to leave it in the park along with an old bicycle, hoping it would be seen as part of a narrative about bike accidents in the city.
Kennedy admitted he was anxious that the bear would be traced back to him after the incident made headlines on "every television station".
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"Luckily, the story faded over time, remaining dormant for a decade until the New Yorker somehow uncovered it," Kennedy remarked.
The claim adds to the series of unusual revelations about Kennedy Jr., whose popularity in the polls has declined since President Joe Biden exited the race last month and gave way to Vice President Kamala Harris instead.
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In another bizarre revelation, earlier this year, reports surfaced that during a deposition in divorce proceedings more than ten years ago, a worm had eaten part of Kennedy Jr's brain before dying.
(With inputs from agencies)