John F Kennedy's hidden love life: The flight attendant who got pregnant and led to abortion

In an unexpected and untold chapter from JFK: Public, Private, Secret, bestselling author J.Randy Taraborrelli reveals an extraordinary liaison of a young flight attendant, Joan Lundberg, who got embroiled in a steamy affair with Former US President John F Kennedy, who was then married to Jackie and had a daughter, Caroline.

Joan 23-year-old and mother of two, was working as a cocktail waitress for Frontier Airlines, and JFK was a 39-year-old charismatic senator; both met at a jukebox in a Santa Monica dive bar. The connection clicked, both felt a strong attraction towards each other, and it blossomed into a meaningful relationship. JFK often found solace with her, far from the political pressure of Washington. It created a rare space for him to open up.

Over the years, both nurtured that relationship. JFK used to fly across the country to meet Joan, often covering all the expenses. Soon, in June 1958, Joan was pregnant.

“Joan would recall that her news about the baby was ‘like a knife to Jack’s heart,” reads the excerpt. “While it was a shock, Joan wrote that they shouldn’t have been so surprised: ‘I didn’t like wearing a diaphragm, and Jack wouldn’t wear a rubber. '"

JFK, like the traditional Washington guy, was torn between responsibility and political calculations. What followed was a coercion for Joan to get an abortion. A $400 draft followed, telling her, “you’ll know what to do”. When the initial payment was delayed, it compelled him to send more funds once he found out about the lapse. JFK soon started to descend into paranoia about the baby, whether Joan planned to get pregnant all along or if the baby was his. The relationship ended with a tense statement from Joan: “I’m somebody’s daughter, too. Remember that the next time you treat a woman the way you’ve treated me”.