Vanity Fair article on Jack Worthington

[Douglas Caddy]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...8/04/jack200804

[Myra Bronstein]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...8/04/jack200804

Thanks for the link Douglas!

They have a photo: Attached.

So what do y'all think? Is there a resemblance?

[Myra Bronstein]

Second photo:

[Pamela Brown]

The eyes, hair, and build are similar. That's interesting. I hope the Kennedys will allow DNA testing to be done. I read somewhere that Caroline will be in Vancouver soon to give a speech.

[Michael Hogan]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...8/04/jack200804

Typically interesting article from Vanity Fair. Especially the part about Worthington's attorney.

[Myra Bronstein]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...8/04/jack200804

Typically interesting article from Vanity Fair. Especially the part about Worthington's attorney.

Yes, the originator of this thread.

Perhaps Douglas will give us further insights into Worthington's motives, as well as his own motives.

[Douglas Caddy]

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/feature...8/04/jack200804

Typically interesting article from Vanity Fair. Especially the part about Worthington's attorney.

Yes, the originator of this thread.

Perhaps Douglas will give us further insights into Worthington's motives, as well as his own motives.

I released this statement to the press today on the letterhead of Simoneaux & Frye, PLLC, the Houston law firm to which I serve Of Counsel:

For Immediate Release

STATEMENT OF DOUGLAS CADDY, ATTORNEY FOR JACK WORTHINGTON,

ON THE VANITY FAIR ARTICLE THAT CLAIMS MR. WORTHINGTON

MAY BE THE SON OF JOHN F. KENNEDY

Soon after his mother informed him that he was JFK’s son, Mr. Worthington retained me in August 2006 to represent him in gathering DNA evidence to support the claim.

He did so because of his knowledge of my prior legal representation of clients such as Howard Hunt, Gordon Liddy, Billie Sol Estes and Barr McClellan.

We soon came to the conclusion that we would need strategic assistance in this effort. We decided to enlist Vanity Fair magazine.

On October 3, 2006 I wrote to Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, on the letterhead of Simoneaux and Frye, the Houston law firm of which I am Of Counsel. Soon thereafter David Friend, Editor, Creative Development for Vanity Fair, responded. As a result, a meeting was held in November 2006 in the NYC at Vanity Fair. Present were Graydon Carter, David Friend, Sharon Bush (a close friend of Mr. Worthington), Jerry Simoneaux and myself. The Vanity Fair article is the end product that began with that meeting.

On the evening preceding the meeting Jerry Simoneaux and I visited with Mr. Worthington at the Harvard Club. Afterwards Mr. Simoneaux and I agreed that seeing and talking to Mr. Worthington was an “electrifying” experience as his appearance and demeanor are indeed reminiscent of JFK.

Mr. Worthington has had successful business career. Last year he took up residence in British Columbia. During the prior 20 years he lived in 8 countries and worked literally throughout the world in senior executive management roles where he enjoyed high credibility in mergers and acquisitions of international corporations.

I wish to express my appreciation to two Houstonians who advised me in the preliminary interfacing with Vanity Fair. These are Ray Hill, a citizen activist, and Susan Bardwell, former crime reporter for the Houston Chronicle.

I also want to call attention to an invaluable Internet source for information about the death of JFK. This is the “JFK Assassination Debate” that is administered by the distinguished British historian, John Simkin, which can be found at

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/

[Myra Bronstein]

More here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4366931&page=1

With better photos:

I don't really see that much resemblance.

[Myra Bronstein]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

"VANCOUVER — A Victoria-based man whose claim to Camelot has been shot down by his own family says he feels “betrayed” by them and calls an article about his story in a reputable U.S. publication “an outrageous hack job.”

...

The article also reveals that DNA test results show it is unlikely that Mr. Kennedy was Mr. Worthington's father.

...

“I've got a note that Lyndon wrote personally to her. She framed it actually and gave it to me. … She's not going to be able to deny that because she knows about it and she's the one who framed it.”

The note, according to Mr. Worthington, says: “I had a nice chat with your daddy today. Your friend, Lyndon.”

When asked whether he could produce the framed note, Mr. Worthington said it was “in storage somewhere.”

...

The DNA testing the magazine commissioned failed to establish a match.

“This data is supporting non-paternity,” an official of the lab that oversaw the tests is quoted as saying.

...

One of the more bizarre revelations in the Vanity Fair story is contained in an e-mail sent by lawyer Douglas Caddy, who approached the magazine on Mr. Worthington's behalf.

The e-mail read, in part: “If paternity were proved through DNA, [my client] would change his name to Kennedy and would also name his first-born son JFK III. He most likely would return to the U.S. and become active in politics, possibly running for public office.”

The article says Mr. Worthington later changed his tune, saying he did not want to get into politics but in fact wanted to start a foundation, the goals of which are not clear.

“Doug Caddy was not my lawyer,” Mr. Worthington said yesterday. “[Mr. Friend] didn't hear those [words] from my lips.”"

[Douglas Caddy]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

"VANCOUVER — A Victoria-based man whose claim to Camelot has been shot down by his own family says he feels “betrayed” by them and calls an article about his story in a reputable U.S. publication “an outrageous hack job.”

...

The article also reveals that DNA test results show it is unlikely that Mr. Kennedy was Mr. Worthington's father.

...

“I've got a note that Lyndon wrote personally to her. She framed it actually and gave it to me. … She's not going to be able to deny that because she knows about it and she's the one who framed it.”

The note, according to Mr. Worthington, says: “I had a nice chat with your daddy today. Your friend, Lyndon.”

When asked whether he could produce the framed note, Mr. Worthington said it was “in storage somewhere.”

...

The DNA testing the magazine commissioned failed to establish a match.

“This data is supporting non-paternity,” an official of the lab that oversaw the tests is quoted as saying.

...

One of the more bizarre revelations in the Vanity Fair story is contained in an e-mail sent by lawyer Douglas Caddy, who approached the magazine on Mr. Worthington's behalf.

The e-mail read, in part: “If paternity were proved through DNA, [my client] would change his name to Kennedy and would also name his first-born son JFK III. He most likely would return to the U.S. and become active in politics, possibly running for public office.”

The article says Mr. Worthington later changed his tune, saying he did not want to get into politics but in fact wanted to start a foundation, the goals of which are not clear.

“Doug Caddy was not my lawyer,” Mr. Worthington said yesterday. “[Mr. Friend] didn't hear those [words] from my lips.”"

Mother denies Victoria man's claim he's son of JFK

By Denise Ryan

Vancouver Sun

Friday, February 29, 2008

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/st...b2b&k=80429

VANCOUVER - The family of Jack Worthington, the Victoria man who claims to be an illegitimate son of president John F. Kennedy, released a statement to Vanity Fair magazine today stating Worthington is not related to JFK.

"It is our understanding that Jack R. Worthington, Jr. has made the statement that he is the son of John F. Kennedy and that his mother, Mary Evelyn Worthington, was introduced to president Kennedy by Lyndon B. Johnson."

"It is the position of the family that the above statements are unequivocally false and have been fabricated by Jack R. Worthington Jr. for reasons unknown to his family."

The statement also says that his mother, Mary Evelyn Worthington, never met either John F. Kennedy or Lyndon B. Johnson.

"Jack R. Worthington Jr. is the natural-born son of Jack R. Worthington, Sr. and Mary Evelyn Worthington," said the statement.

Worthington, who until today was unaware his family had released the statement, spoke to The Vancouver Sun within minutes of getting the news that his family had spoken out against his claims.

Worthington, who stands by his story, said "my mother is not telling the truth. She has reservations. She just doesn't want to deal with it now, the publicity."

Within hours of receiving the statement from Worthington's family, Vanity Fair circulated it to media, and published an article by David Friend on its website entitled "A Claim to Camelot," with the overline "The Man Who Would be Jack."

Friend's article positions Worthington as a possible poser whose approach to the magazine through his lawyer Douglas Caddy immediately rang "alarm bells."

"How many time had would-be Kennedy heirs come out of the woodwork? And how many tall tales had originated...in the dark heart of conspiracy country - vast, incorrigible Texas, where JFK was murdered, LBJ connived and thrived, and two presidents Bush catapulted from the oil business to the Oval Office?" Friend writes.

News about the story of a possible JFK love child living in the wilds of British Columbia first surfaced when the New York Post ran an item in its well-read Page Six gossip column a few weeks ago. The report suggested Vanity Fair had spiked a politically hot-button item on the alleged JFK son, caving under pressure from Ted Kennedy.

The item proved a source of fascination and Worthington immediately became the target of an international media hunt. He was reluctant to come forward, but did speak at length to The Vancouver Sun, alluding to himself as "a potential Rosetta Stone for a confusing time in American history," and suggesting the Vanity Fair article might provide some information that would solve the cloud of mystery that still hangs around the assassination of JFK.

The article published on its website today does anything but, giving Worthington a starring role as a man of "conflicting assertions and motives and press conferences," a man whose mother denies him and who "was told [by Vanity Fair] that he was free to take his story elsewhere."

Worthington admits he does not have a close relationship with his mother, but said he was surprised by her press release and shocked by the tone of the Vanity Fair article.

He said David Friend had told him last week, before receiving contact with his mother, that Vanity Fair was "coming forward with the article, and that it would be fair and balanced."

Worthington, who was in New York last week shooting a segment for ABC's 20/20, slated to air March 7, said he is particularly outraged by the article's assertion, supported by a letter they reproduce stating, effectively, that he approached Vanity Fair through his lawyer Douglas Caddy, offering them exclusive rights to his story.

"Caddy was a personal friend. He knew my story. He talked to someone at Vanity Fair who passed it on to Friend, but I didn't know about it. Then he came back to me and said, Vanity Fair wants to help you."

"That is untrue," said Vanity Fair spokesperson Beth Kseniak Friday in an interview with The Sun. "His lawyer approached us."

Worthington did admit to The Sun that he retained Caddy as his lawyer when it came time to negotiate a confidentiality agreement with Vanity Fair.

Worthington said "people somewhere influenced Vanity Fair to butcher me."

He added that "in early January [Vanity Fair editor] Graydon Carter had a meeting or call with the Kennedys and after that was influenced to stop the publication. I think my family was influenced by the same people."

Worthington said he isn't surprised that people have doubts about his story - but that the answers will come out in the end. "On 20/20 Brian Ross asks all the tough questions, questions the American public would want to know."

Kseniak would not comment on whether the story was tweaked after receiving the statement from Worthington's family, or on the coincidental timing of its web publication.

"We did hear from the family today. Our story is about Jack Worthington. It speaks for itself," she said.

dryan@png.canwest.com

[Dawn Meredith]

I received this article from Barr last night , just read the story and emailed my comments to Barr before coming to the forum. This story just gets weirder and weirder. I too see little resemblance, question Worthington's real motives and now possibly his sanity. I found the comment re Caddy "he is not my lawyer" particularily revealing, especially where this too is contradicted by him in the very next article, admitting Caddy's legal role.

This reeks of con to me

Dawn

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Jack, in Caddy’s view, was the real deal. When Simoneaux and Caddy met him, the attorney said, “it was almost electricity as he strode toward us. He has that charisma. And he looks like … like his father.”

Doug: It seems you were right after all. This man really DOES look like his father:

Then yearbook photos of Jack senior emerged from a library in Texas. Jack II bore an uncanny resemblance to the man in the basketball uniform and in a college-yearbook headshot from 1960—the student named Jack Worthington. Both father and son had similar jaws, noses, eyes. Both had receding hairlines. Both were awash in freckles.

Edited March 1, 2008 by J. Raymond Carroll

[Wim Dankbaar]

Douglas,

This story has the ring of truth to me. What about the DNA test? Will it be done?

Why would he ever suggest this if he's not telling the truth? What does he have to gain? He is already esteemed and succesfull. He could be exposed as a con, if he's a fraud.

Please give my regards to Mr Worthingthon. Did I correctly read he lived in The Netherlands?

On this photo the resemblence with JFK is remarkable.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article797556.ece

Wim

IF JFK's skull would ever be exhumed, I'll bet my house on traces of mercury.

Edited March 2, 2008 by Wim Dankbaar

[J. Raymond Carroll]

He could be exposed as a con, if he's a fraud.

If you read the Vanity Fair Article, you will see that he HAS been exposed as a con, by no less an authority than his own mother.

Without DNA from Worthington’s parents, however, and without a reconciliation between mother and son, all Jack II’s tale amounted to, really, was one man’s cold call to a magazine.

[Myra Bronstein]