Larry David has taken direct aim at U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the latest episode of his HBO comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, while the show’s reunion of many Curb Your Enthusiasm regulars notably does not include Cheryl Hines, Kennedy’s wife and David’s longtime television co-star.
by Paul Cashmere
Larry David has used the fourth episode of his HBO comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness to deliver one of his sharpest satirical attacks on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., portraying a fictional character named “Bobby” whose views closely mirror Kennedy’s long public criticism of vaccines. The episode comes as Cheryl Hines, David’s longtime Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star and Kennedy’s wife, is absent from the new series despite many former cast members returning for appearances.
The latest episode, titled Deepthroat, continues the series’ format of placing David in historical settings while drawing parallels with contemporary issues. In the sketch, David appears in drag as Dora Salk, the fictionalised mother of Jonas Salk, the scientist who developed the first successful polio vaccine.
As Dora enthusiastically praises her son’s scientific achievements, a neighbour named Bobby interrupts with increasingly conspiratorial claims about vaccines. The character declares that the polio vaccine will kill people and cause heart attacks before extending his claims to childhood vaccinations and other conspiracy theories.
David’s character responds with a blistering rebuke, telling Bobby, “Drop dead, Bobby. You should die a dog’s death. You don’t know anything about science, you’re not a doctor.”
When Bobby suggests that, if he were in charge, children would not receive vaccines, Dora replies, “If you were in charge, God help us all. If some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge, that would be a dark day for humanity.”
The exchange has been widely interpreted as a reference to Kennedy, who currently serves as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services after joining President Donald Trump’s administration. Kennedy has spent years questioning vaccine safety and has become one of the most prominent figures associated with the anti-vaccine movement in the United States.
The sketch concludes with Bobby making a series of increasingly bizarre claims before being escorted away by two men in white suits.
The episode also highlights how relationships formed during more than a decade of Curb Your Enthusiasm have shifted in recent years.
David and Hines worked together throughout the twelve-season run of the HBO comedy, with Hines portraying a fictionalised version of David’s wife, Cheryl. Off screen, David introduced Hines to Kennedy during a Waterkeeper Alliance charity event in 2004. Kennedy was then involved with the environmental organisation.
Hines and Kennedy later married in 2014. David has previously acknowledged that he warned Hines against pursuing the relationship before they eventually married, although the three remained publicly friendly for a number of years.
Kennedy and Hines attended the premiere of the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2024, but their relationship with David appears to have cooled following Kennedy’s decision to endorse Donald Trump and later accept a Cabinet position.
Hines has previously said she had not spoken with David following the conclusion of Curb Your Enthusiasm, suggesting that his frustration centred on Kennedy’s role within the Trump administration. Despite the personal distance, Hines has also said publicly that she still loves David and believes the feeling is mutual.
Her absence from Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness has attracted attention because many familiar faces from Curb Your Enthusiasm have either appeared in the series or participated in promotional events surrounding its launch. Director and co-creator Jeff Schaffer has dismissed suggestions of a political blacklist, saying simply that Hines was never considered for a role and describing the casting decisions as creative rather than political.
The new HBO series is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions and has consistently used historical settings to comment on contemporary American politics and culture. Earlier episodes have also included satirical references to Donald Trump and other modern political figures while placing David in pivotal moments from American history.
Schaffer has said the creative team wanted to explore current issues through historical events, arguing that public misunderstanding surrounding vaccines made the story of Jonas Salk an appropriate vehicle for contemporary satire.
For David, whose comedy has long mixed awkward personal encounters with broader social commentary, the latest episode represents one of his most direct political statements to date. By revisiting the legacy of the polio vaccine while parodying Kennedy’s public positions, the series continues its approach of using history to examine present-day debates, even when those debates involve people who were once among David’s closest friends and collaborators.
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