Chic Facts About Jackie Kennedy Onassis, The President’s Widow
Decades after her time in the White House, Jackie Kennedy is still seen as one of the most popular First Ladies in US history.
With her iconic style, tragic romances, and high-key messed up family, Jackie’s life was always going to be the stuff of soap operas. But what was she like behind the infamous bloodstained Chanel suit?
Strap in as we unpack Jackie Kennedy's jaw-dropping life story.
Jackie Kennedy Facts
1. She Was A Poor Little Rich Girl
She's now known as Jackie Kennedy and Jackie O, but when she was born, her name was Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. As soon as the baby girl took her first breath on July 28, 1929, she was already part of New York's elite social circle.
Her father was the infamous Wall Street stockbroker “Black Jack” Bouvier III and her mother was the socialite Janet Norton Lee. Despite her well-to-do parents, Jackie quickly learned that money couldn't buy happiness.
It just bought great outfits and a metric ton of drama.
2. Her Dad Played Favorites
Jackie’s charm was evident from an early age, especially where her father was concerned. He openly preferred Jackie over her younger sister Lee, even calling Jackie “the most beautiful daughter a man ever had.” This was...not the best parenting strategy. Thanks to her dad's favoritism, Jackie and Papa Bouvier were close for their entire lives. As for Jackie and her sister? Their story is very different.
3. Her Family Life Was Dramatic
Jackie's childhood home was exactly as repressed as you'd expect. The Bouviers put on a show of being the perfect family, but behind closed doors, things could not have been more different. As Jackie and Lee competed for their parents' affection, Jackie’s father John struggled with his own demons. He was an alcoholic and a serial adulterer—and after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, things only got worse.