Cheryl Hines, the Emmy-nominated actress known for "Curb Your Enthusiasm," opened up about how her marriage to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. affected her personal life, revealing that she lost friends due to public backlash.

Speaking on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Hines reflected on the challenges of being closely connected to politics.

"It was interesting to watch people change their attitude about me or [say] I'm not the person they thought I was. [That] type of feeling," Hines admitted, TheBlast reported.

"That was strange because I'm still the same person. That was, and still is, in a sense very strange."

The actress noted that some of her Hollywood friends publicly distanced themselves from her after Kennedy's appointment as US Secretary of Health and Human Services under former President Donald Trump's second administration.

Hines confirmed she became estranged from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" co-star Larry David, while her former cohost Tig Notaro stepped away from their friendship because of Kennedy's political involvement.

Hines, who began dating Kennedy in 2011 and married him at the Kennedy family compound in Cape Cod in August 2024, admitted she underestimated how politics would impact her life.

"I didn't expect politics to be such a [big] part of my life," she told Rogan. "I'm still shocked."

The actress explained that her personal and professional world shifted dramatically as Kennedy took more controversial stances, including his ongoing scrutiny for anti-vaccination views and the creation of a new inverted nutritional pyramid.

"My career, my own friends, my decisions got lumped in with that," Hines said. "Everything changed. Everything was changing, all day, every day."

Cheryl Hines Reflects on Learning

While Hines acknowledged the fallout from lost friendships, she described it as a learning experience.

"It's painful though," she said. "Also, people that don't know you, they assume things that aren't true." She joked that the experience showed her who truly "rises to the top."

According to US Magazine, Hines also spoke about the constant concern for her husband's safety, particularly after Trump was shot during his 2024 campaign. "Really, the safety, Bobby's safety was the most stressful. Every day, all day," she explained.

The couple now travels with US Marshals, and Hines said the experience has changed how she views ordinary interactions.

"You look to see what's suspicious, what's going on and you see things differently. ... There are a lot of kooks," she added.

Despite the controversy surrounding Kennedy, Hines defended her husband's intentions, pointing to his environmental work and legal battles against corporations that polluted waterways.

"Why would he spend all of his life fighting for people, fighting for individuals, and then suddenly change and want to hurt people? It just doesn't track," she said.