In his conversation with Barr, Kennedy expressed concerns about the potential fallout from the story, anticipating an article in The New Yorker about the incident. “Looking forward to seeing how you spin this one,” he posted, tagging the magazine in his post.
In the video, Kennedy, seated casually in a kitchen, describes the events leading up to the bizarre act. He explained that he was driving through the Hudson Valley in 2014 when he witnessed a woman accidentally hit and kill a young bear cub with her van. “I pulled over and I picked up the bear and put him in the back of my van because I was going to skin the bear,” Kennedy was quoted as saying, adding that the bear was in good condition and he intended to use the meat.
However, Kennedy’s plans changed when he realized he had to attend a dinner at the famous Peter Luger Steak House in New York City before catching a flight. Faced with a time crunch, he decided to abandon the bear in Central Park, concocting a scene to make it look like the cub had been hit by a bicycle.
Kennedy’s admission has raised eyebrows, not only for the odd nature of the story but also for his casual tone in recounting the incident. He joked about the situation, saying, “This was a little bit of the redneck in me,” while acknowledging that the story might not be well-received by the public or the press.
A grim discovery in Central Park
The bear cub’s discovery in 2014 caused an uproar, with the New York Times reporting on the unusual find. A woman walking her dog in Central Park stumbled upon the cub, partly hidden under some bushes near an abandoned bicycle. The 6-month-old cub, weighing 44 pounds, appeared to have died from “blunt force injuries consistent with a motor vehicle collision,” according to a necropsy conducted by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
Ironically, the New York Times article covering the incident was written by Tatiana Schlossberg, Kennedy’s first cousin’s daughter, who was unaware of Kennedy’s involvement at the time. Schlossberg commented on the revelation, saying, “Like law enforcement, I had no idea who was responsible for this when I wrote the story.”
