Joan Kennedy, Sen Ted Kennedy's first wife, dies at 89

Joan Kennedy, late Sen. Ted Kennedy's first wife, died on Wednesday at age 89.

The former Joan Bennett, a model and classically-trained pianist, married Ted Kennedy in 1958, The Associated Press reported. In 1969, after being elected Massachusetts senator in 1962, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.

The senator, who remained in office until his death in 2009, swam to safety and waited hours before calling the police. He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.

Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, in addition to miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident. She stood by him through the scandal, but their estrangement was evident by the time of his failed effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by that point, and would later divorce in 1982.

She struggled with alcoholism and mental health issues.

“Mrs. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, and a quiet pioneer in publicly addressing challenges with alcoholism and depression at a time when few others would,” her son Patrick Kennedy and his wife Amy said in a statement.

“Her courage and candor helped break stigma and inspired others to seek help and healing. Her impact on the arts, mental health advocacy, her beloved Boston community, and the nation will be remembered by many,” they said.