The Kennedy family, that dynasty of American royalty, has given us tragedy, glory, and more than enough tabloid fodder to last a lifetime. But the latest chapter in the saga of Camelot is straight out of a soap opera script: a secret heir has been uncovered, tied up in a protracted, bitter legal fight over an $85 million inheritance.
Jean Kennedy Smith, the late sister of President John F. Kennedy and former ambassador to Ireland, may have died in 2020, but her $85 million estate has become the battleground for a deeply personal family secret. After five years of sifting through court filings, it can be revealed that Jean quietly named a secret granddaughter as a beneficiary: Kate C. Squier.
The Scion and the Scandal: William Kennedy Smith’s Secret Daughter
The father of this surprise scion is none other than Jean’s son, William Kennedy Smith, the Kennedy cousin whose name is forever linked to the infamous 1991 Palm Beach rape trial, where he was ultimately acquitted.
Kate C. Squier, born in 1997 to mother Kathleen Ann McMahon, is now a grown woman working as a publicist in Washington, D.C. According to insiders, the young woman is the “spitting image” of her notorious 65-year-old father but, significantly, does not carry the famous Kennedy clan name in public (she uses her mother’s current husband’s surname, Squier, and is also referred to as Kate McCann in court documents).
- The Open Secret: An insider confirmed to publications that “Kate is an open secret among the Kennedys,” but the revelation caused “a lot of pain in the family.” This indicates that while the family knew, the public—and the courts—are only now getting the formal receipt.
- The Timing: Kate was conceived roughly six years after Smith’s highly publicized Florida trial and around the time he was running his Chicago-based nonprofit, Physicians Against Landmines. This was also the approximate period during which Smith was accused of sexually harassing six female employees at the organization—allegations he denied before resigning in 2004.
While Squier’s social media quickly went private after publications began asking questions, her professional profile boasts a career in communications, specializing in “crafting and executing dynamic publicity campaigns.” The irony of a communications expert being the subject of this kind of bombshell exposé is deliciously Kennedy.
On this date October 31 in 1991: William Kennedy Smith arrives at the Palm Beach County courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida for the first day of jury selection in his rape trial. He was acquitted. He is now a physician. Photo: Chris O’Meara. #OTD pic.twitter.com/GCumxJ22PW
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) October 31, 2025
The Battle for the $85 Million: Legal Drama Ensues
The discovery of the secret granddaughter adds yet another volatile layer to a legal scramble that began the moment Jean Kennedy Smith passed away.
Jean’s choice of executors for her massive estate was telling: she bypassed her relatively unknown son, Stephen E. Smith Jr. (a lawyer), and instead appointed her son-in-law, Carter Hood, and a longtime confidant and former Catholic priest, Charles J. O’Byrne. As the insider noted, “It’s not an accident that Jean had a son who was a lawyer and a son who was a doctor, but she chose very deliberately to make other people her executors.”
The ensuing legal wrangling has included:
- The Loan Drama: The estate is attempting to collect $3.6 million in principal and interest from William Kennedy Smith, which he allegedly borrowed from his mother back in 2016.
- The Ousting Attempt: William unsuccessfully tried to have O’Byrne removed as a trustee for his mother’s multimillion-dollar New York City apartment.
- The Appeal: While a judge ruled William only owed $1.2 million (due to a partial payment in 2024), the executors immediately filed a notice of appeal, indicating that the fight over William’s debt is far from over.
The appearance of Kate C. Squier in the court documents confirms that Jean Kennedy Smith was aware of her granddaughter and took steps to secure her future, even as her relationship with her scandal-scarred son remains combative in court.
When confronted with the revelation of his daughter, William Kennedy Smith declined comment, having his attorney issue a letter stating: “Your allegations against Dr. Smith are false and defamatory.”
Whether that denial applies to the existence of his daughter or the details of her mother’s identity is currently the $85 million question. What is clear is that the Kennedys, even in death, continue to deliver the kind of high-stakes, dramatic, and secretive family saga that America can’t look away from. The long, winding shadow of Camelot just got a little longer.
