"Some who know him say that Bobby flirted (like other members of the Kennedy family), and may have been unfaithful," Tye said.
Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel were once admired as members of the American royalty, but new allegations reveal their love story may not have been as virtuous as one believed.
Read: Who Was Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy? The Untold Story of JFK's High-Spirited Little Sister
Friends knew him as Bobby Kennedy, and he was known to be at the head of what appeared to be a perfect family, including 11 children, until his assassination more than 50 years ago.
Larry Tye, author of new book 'Bobby Kennedy: The Making Of A Liberal Icon' spoke to Robert's widow Ethel Kennedy as well as others who were part of his inner circle to reveal that the late New York senator and U.S. attorney general may have been unfaithful in his marriage.
"Some who know him say that Bobby flirted (like other members of the Kennedy family), and may have been unfaithful," Tye said, but clarified, "I don't know whether or not Bobby cheated."
Tye explained that extramarital affairs within the Kennedy clan are not unheard of, though frowned upon. Despite rumor of possible infidelity, Tye believed "(Bobby) was the most puritanical and sanctimonious of the Kennedy boys."
According to Tye, rumors surrounding the family has plagued 88-year-old Ethel since her husband died, but "she long ago stopped listening to or reading them. She tried to block them out then, too, although they must have hurt."
Read: Rosemary Kennedy's Dad Ordered Her Lobotomy to Prevent Pregnancy, New Books Claim
Amid the gossip, Tye said Ethel never wavered in solidarity with her husband: "She never disclosed any suspicions. What she knew then and still does is that she loved her husband more completely than she'd dreamed possible. And she knew he always came home, not just to the kids but to her."
Watch: Jackie Kennedy's Lookalike Granddaughter Stars in New Web Series
