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Julia Thorne, an author, activist, and former wife of US Senator John F. Kerry, died yesterday in Concord. She was 61. The cause of death was transitional-cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, according to her daughter Vanessa Kerry. In a telephone interview, John Kerry called Ms. Thorne "a great friend to a lot of people" and spoke with emotion of her accomplishments as a parent. "She was the best mom two daughters could want," he said. "She was completely committed to the kids and their future." Her daughter echoed that view. "She was a phenomenal mother," said Vanessa Kerry, of...

GOING THE DISTANCE Following in her father's footsteps, Vanessa Kerry is training to run in the Boston Marathon. John Kerry's youngest daughter is studying in London on a Fulbright scholarship, but told friends in a recent e-mail that she's training for the April race. (Her father has said he competed in the late 1970s.) In the e-mail, Kerry said she's running as part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's marathon team and invited friends to visit the Dana-Farber website and make a donation supporting cancer research. (Among those who've responded are famous friends: singer Carole King and Al Gore's middle daughter,...

"This week's issue of Time magazine (April, 2004) says Sen. John Kerry 'sought an annulment of his 18-year first marriage before marrying again.' News reports indicate, however, that Kerry didn't seek an annulment until after he married Teresa Heinz in a civil ceremony in 1995. Today's New York Times says Kerry 'sought an annulment from the church when he was divorced from his first wife.' Notice that neither Time nor the New York Times says that an annulment was granted. They say it was 'sought.'

Why have we not heard anything about Sen. John Kerry’s former wife, the mother of his daughters? What can you tell us about her? When divorced, remarried, etc.? - P.S., Lebanon You probably haven’t heard anything about her because she’s an exceedingly private person. Kerry married the former Julia Thorne, a Philadelphia heiress, in 1970 in Bay Shore, N.Y. They honeymooned in Jamaica. As you note, they had two daughters, Alexandra in 1973 and Vanessa in 1976. The couple separated in 1982 at a time when Thorne was battling a deep depression and contemplating suicide. "After 14 years as a...

1) KERRY EX-WIFE ASSAILS ANNULMENT PROCESS Published on April 10, 1997 Author(s): Frank Phillips, Globe Staff Kerry's former wife, Julia Thorne, says she received what she considers a coldly-worded letter in November from a church official notifying her that the senator was seeking an annulment of their 12-year marriage, which ended in

A Washington Times article was just pulled because the poster violated the copyright rules for our website. I was in the process of typing a response to the article and it was pulled prior to my posting. I went to the Times website and could not find it. There was something about his marriages that would be of interest to a number of Freepers, i.e., the article said he married Theresa Heinz BEFORE his first marriage was annulled. I think that may be new information. Is there a way to get this article, appropriately excerpted, back on the site.

...Both the veep and his wife, Lynne, reacted angrily to John Kerry's having pointedly noted in Wednesday's debate that their daughter Mary — who works for the campaign but keeps a low profile — is gay. The suspicion is that Kerry meant to damage the Republican ticket in the eyes of any voters who have a problem with Mary Cheney's sexuality — that is, in the eyes of people that Kerry considers to be bigots. Recall that Kerry's running-mate, John Edwards, also gratuitously brought up the subject.... Yesterday, Mrs. Cheney reacted furiously to Kerry's tactic, calling it "a cheap and...

IT HAS been one of the best-kept secrets of the presidential election campaign. Julia Thorne, the first wife of John Kerry, the Democrat candidate, has been suffering from cancer.After months of treatment out of the public eye, she has now been declared cancer-free and has returned to her home in Montana. Thorne is considering writing a book about her experience of illness, but not until after the November election. “She is somebody who has written books before and has a lot to share with people,” a family friend said. If the past is a guide, she may include some acerbic...

Sources tell the National Enquirer that in 1980--two years before Kerry and first wife Julia Thorne announced their separation--John Kerry began an affair that lasted past the marriage breakup. Kerry and Ms. Thorne divorced in 1988. The woman in question was dating a prominent Boston dermatologist in 1980, but that relationship ended when she started seeing John Kerry romantically. An insider close to the woman tells the Enquirer, 'There is a reason John Kerry has fought tooth and nail to keep the records of his 1988 divorce sealed. If those divorce records were ever released, I think the public would...

It is alledged that Kerry had an aldulterous relationship an unnamed woman that began before he and his first wife split.The National Enquirer claims in its latest issue that Kerry had a 'passionate affair' with an unnamed woman.'She was in love with John and he broke her heart,' a source told the weekly tabloid.The Enquirer claims that Kerry had the adulterous relationship in 1980-two years before he and Julia Thorne announced their seperation.(they did not officially divorce until 1988.)

Kerry has a different language, a different connection to ritual, and a different relationship to Jesus than that of Bush. John Kerry was never a Prodigal Son. His faith journey contains no leave-taking and triumphant return, no revival, no conversion on the road to Damascus. Unlike President Bush--a Protestant who experienced a profound conversion at age 40 under the Rev. Billy Graham's tutelage--Kerry has been a steady, churchgoing Catholic literally since the day he was born. For Americans who have grown accustomed in the last four years to a certain kind of spiritual biography, Kerry's will seem starkly different. He...

Caption this vintage Kerry pic.

Friends say the union of John Kerry [related, bio] and Julia Thorne was a rousing love affair when they met at Yale - he a dashing 19-year-old, she a bikini-clad babe and twin sister to Kerry's best friend. But for a political marriage, it was a dud and it ended badly. It couldn't have happened at a worse time for the budding politician's career, the summer of 1982, just as Kerry emerged as a serious candidate for Massachusetts lieutenant governor. Kerry later called the divorce a ``super-painful process'' and laughs off his bachelor days as the loneliest time of his...

John Kerry is a man full of contradiction.In 1995, already divorced from his first wife Julia Thorne, John Kerry pressed for an annulment.He didn't bother to tell Ms. Thorne. The church simply informed her by way of a letter that this was the case. Ms. Thorne had been severely depressed and near suicide when Kerry walked out on her, and in pressing for an annulment he cast his daughters into the bizarre state of illigimacy. (one of them was still a teenager at the time) Compare that with the Jack Ryan Illinois Senate case where both parents were arguing to...

CAMBRIDGE -- U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II made one of his few public appearances in Massachusetts yesterday since his annulment dispute became public, but he continued to insist it was a private matter. "I'm not going to start commenting on all of the various issues that have been brought up," a subdued Rep. Kennedy said after recognizing the winners of local Small Business Administration awards. "I just feel that these are personal family matters and I think that I will continue to try to treat them as such," he said. In a book to be published next month, the...

The Boston Globe, October 18, 1990 The Washington Post Style section recently anointed him the capital's 9th most eligible bachelor, offering this thumbnail sketch: "Heartthrob of the Left. Known for unabashed ego and killer office hours; dates start at midnight. A tad forgetful - his divorce became final four years after his separation, a fact that reportedly came as a surprise to some of his frequent companions." Gossip columns have linked Kerry to actresses Morgan Fairchild and Cornelia Guest, as well as Patti Davis, the daughter of President Reagan. Kerry dismisses the gossip, saying he would "wish being father to...

<p>Some Democrats in Illinois may have been tickled pink at the prospect of throwing the U.S. Senate race into utter confusion two weeks ago, but those same Democrats have now likely opened up vulnerability at the top of the ticket. And with what is already publicly known about the tortured marriage between Sen. John Kerry and his first wife Julia Stimson Thorne, there is reason to believe that where there's smoke, there's fire.</p>

BOSTON - In 1995, already divorced from his first wife Julia Thorne, John Kerry pressed for an annulment. He didn't bother to tell Ms. Thorne. The church simply informed her by way of a letter that this was the case. Ms. Thorne had been severely depressed and near suicide when Kerry walked out on her, and in pressing for an annulment he cast his daughters into the bizarre state of illegitimacy. One of them was still a teen at the time. Compare that to the Jack Ryan case where - BOTH - parents were arguing to keep the records sealed...

BOSTON -- When Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry dismissed calls that he make his divorce records public, he apparently didn't know many of them already are. In 1988 Kerry and his first wife, Julia Thorne, were granted a "no-fault" divorce after 18 years of marriage. They cited the generic grounds of "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage," according to divorce records. The only portion of the records that are sealed involve the couple's financial information, including salary, assets and debts, which are impounded in all divorce cases, Assistant Norfolk Probate Registrar John Jenney said. Kerry has denounced inquiries about whether his...

The same media establishment that was so eager to unearth the divorce files of GOP Senate nominee Jack Ryan and destroy his candidacy is still reluctant to give Sen. John Kerry the same treatment. Thank heaven for the Illinois Leader. As we noted last week, Leader Media Inc. President Dan Proft announced he would sue to open the Democrat presidential candidate's records to the public. "Tuesday, the national media began bombarding IllinoisLeader.com, questioning the fledgling operation's intention to take on a fight with national political implications," the conservative Web site reported. "The Chicago Tribune and a Los Angeles Family...

Heinz Kerry Recalls Death of First Husband By RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press Writer DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Teresa Heinz Kerry, who inherited a vast family fortune and heads a billion-dollar foundation, said Tuesday she would give up the money to have her first husband back. "It was a very sad day when that happened," Heinz Kerry said, speaking of Sen. John Heinz, heir to the Heinz food fortune, who was killed in a 1991 plane crash. "I'd rather have my husband alive than that money." Heinz Kerry, a philanthropist now married to Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the...

The unsealing of divorce court records of a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois could impact the presidential aspirations of Sen. John Kerry, who has his own divorce records under seal in Massachusetts. The publication of accusations made by Jack Ryan’s ex, actress Jeri Ryan, led him to withdraw from the senate race last week. Both Ryans had asked that the records -- in which Mrs. Ryan claimed her husband had tried to get her to go to sex clubs and have sex with him while others watched -- be kept secret. But, at the behest of the Chicago Tribune,...

NEW YORK - Tomorrow night Dan Proft, President of Leader Media, and former advisor to former Senate Candidate Jack Ryan will appear on O'Reilly factor to discuss the push from the media to delve into sealed divorce records. Proft is among those now suing for access to John Kerry's sealed records. ABC News and Fox are both pursuing the developing story - that appears now to be destined to open the private files of the Democratic candidate for President.

In anticipation of the unsealing of John Kerry’s divorce and child custody papers, we decided to re-post our “Deadbeat Dad” story. If this is what we have gleaned from the available public record, just wait until the court documents are opened …Update: When John Kerry got his first marriage annulled, he told reporters annulment was “one of this special Catholic things.” “75 percent of all annulments in the world take place in the United States,” he joked. “I guess that figure drops to 50 percent if you take out all Massachusetts politicians.” His first wife, Julia Thorne wasn’t amused. She...

After Newt Gingrich hit the national spotlight in 1994 by becoming the first Republican speaker of the House in 40 years, he was skewered by reports that he had served his first wife divorce papers as she lay in a hospital bed battling cancer. But the press has been far kinder to Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry, who, according to published accounts going back more than a decade, began extricating himself from his first marriage to Philadelphia heiress Julia Thorne at the same time she was battling a case of depression so debilitating that it drove her to the brink...

<p>Julia Thorne has been trying to escape politics ever since rocks crashed through her window, barely missing her baby's crib, after her husband John Kerry ran for Congress in 1972.</p> <p>They'd met years before, while Kerry was still at Yale, after he'd already heard all about her from his buddy David Thorne, Julia's twin.</p>

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The Chicago Tribune and others in the media establishment were eager to unseal the divorce records of and destroy the Senate candidacy of GOP nominee Jack Ryan. But for some strange reason the pro-Democrat media have shown no more interest in John Kerry's divorce records than they have in uncovering his complete military records. Fear not. The conservative Illinois Leader announced today it would sue to obtain Kerry's divorce papers. Stay tuned. P.S.: Teh-RAY-zah, if you're reading this, please don't pound your hubby on his expensively coiffed noggin.

CHICAGO - This afternoon, Leader Media President Dan Proft announced that IllinoisLeader.com plans to file suit to obtain Massachusetts' Senator John Kerry's, the presumptive Democrat nominee for President, sealed divorce records from his first marriage to Julia Thorne which was later annulled. "The Chicago Tribune and a Los Angeles Family Court judge have established a new standard for the release of marital and custodial documents," said Proft referring to the recent Jack Ryan decision. "Okay, then everyone in the public arena needs to be held to that standard. John Kerry is the start but there will be others we will...

It's not often that after a powerful political couple break up, the ex-spouse turns around and endorses her ex-husband. But Sen. John Kerry's first wife, Philadelphia heiress Julia Thorne, has done that. She says Kerry is a good man and deserves public support. But her own revelations about her marriage to the Boston aristocrat show how tragic marriage can be in the political spotlight, and how his unbridled ambition might have contributed to the breakup. In her 1996 book, "Change of Heart," Thorne said that playing the role of wife to the rising political star had made her so depressed...

When questions were raised last month about whether a 27-year-old John Kerry had attended a Kansas City meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War where the assassination of senators was discussed, the Kerry presidential campaign went into action. It accepted the resignation of a campaign volunteer in Florida, Scott Camil, the member of the antiwar group who raised the idea in November 1971 of killing politicians who backed the war. The campaign pressed other veterans who were in Kansas City, Mo., 33 years ago to re-examine their hazy memories while assuring them that Mr. Kerry was sure he had not...

On the campaign trail the Kerry's look like a devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky brood. But like many upper crust families, the Kerry's too have a dark history; one swirling in a shadowy fog of divorce, depression, thoughts of suicide, and perhaps even deadbeat parenting. It all started in 1971 when Julia Thorne met a young Yale grad and Navy boy named John Kerry. We have covered this early part of the story in some detail before. What is clear is that Thorne suffered from severe depression. She was also so lonely during her life with the ambitious Kerry, she contemplated suicide more...

“In today’s newspapers, all the buzz is over John Kerry’s voting record on abortion and whether this should disqualify him from receiving Holy Communion.  But this is not Kerry’s biggest problem with the Catholic Church.  The question of his status as a married Catholic is: there is no evidence that John Kerry and Teresa Heinz were ever married in the Catholic Church.    “We know that Kerry continues to receive Holy Communion, but if he isn’t married in the Church, then he is expressly contravening Church teaching.  This is not an opinion: the operative paragraph in the Catholic Catechism on...

The Other Rich Mrs. Kerry BY JOSEPH CURL Everyone's had a little time to catch up with Teresa Heinz, but few know much about the first Mrs. John F. Kerry or the campaign issue that could reprise last election's undercurrent of marital fidelity and spousal adoration (think Al and Tipper Gore in that lengthy lascivious liplock). While President Bush coos over Laura, the first lady and constant wife, in every speech, his opponent traded in one multimillionaire wife—in the throes of a dark clinical depression—for another deep-pocketed woman, and then had the Roman Catholic Church annul his 18-year first marriage,...

BOSTON (AP) — Rosemary Forbes Kerry left many things to her son John: a flinty New England resolve, a worldly view of politics, and a middle name that conjures up images of a childhood drenched in wealth. The Democratic presidential candidate grew up in a world of elite private schools and vacations on a French estate, something most Americans could only dream about. His parents, a U.S. diplomat and a homemaker, turned to a wealthy, childless great-aunt, Clara Winthrop, to help pay the bills. Before he married Teresa Heinz, the heir to the food empire, Kerry had little more than...

Monday, May 12, 2003 11:58 a.m. EDT John Kerry's Newt Gingrich Problem? After Newt Gingrich hit the national spotlight in 1994 by becoming the first Republican speaker of the House in 40 years, he was skewered by reports that he had served his first wife divorce papers as she lay in a hospital bed battling cancer. But the press has been far kinder to Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry, who, according to published accounts going back more than a decade, began extricating himself from his first marriage to Philadelphia heiress Julia Thorne at the same time she was battling a...

The Heinz-Kerry Water Ballet Tales of the "Botoxed Brahmin" and his bride February 05, 2004, 9:08 a.m. By Jim Geraghty Teresa Heinz, wife of Democratic frontrunner John Kerry, is one of the country's most generous and high-profile environmental philanthropists. She's given hundreds of millions of dollars to green activist groups, research centers, and nongovernmental organizations. But even eight-figure checks can't guarantee that a landowner won't have environmental fights in her own backyard. Literally, in the case of Heinz. Back in 1999, the lawn of Kentucky bluegrass surrounding Heinz's ski lodge in Sun Valley, Idaho was drying out as the region...

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said Thursday that reports indicating that John Kerry's first marriage to heiress Julia Thorne had collapsed amidst allegations of infidelity should not become an issue in this year's presidential campaign. "After his separation and before his marriage [to heiress Teresa Heinz], he was single, so stories might emerge from that era, but I don't think that will cause him any trouble," Brinkley told radio host Don Imus. Brinkley's recent book "Tour of Duty" offers what critics say is a whitewash of Kerry's exploits with the controversial group Vietnam Veterans Against the War after Kerry left the...

After the New Hampshire primary, Dennis Kucinich's new slogan is: ".001 Percent of America Can't Be Wrong!" John Edwards' new slogan is: "Vote for Me or We'll See You in Court." Joe Lieberman's new slogan is: "Sixth Place Is Not an Option." (Bumper sticker version: "Ask Me About My Delegate.") Al Sharpton's new slogan is "Hello? Room Service?" Wesley Clark's new slogan is: "Leading America's War on Fetuses." Howard Dean's new slogan is: "I Want to Be Your President ... And So Do I!" That leaves John Kerry (new slogan: "Nous Sommes Nombre Un!"), who is winning Democratic voters in...