He testified that a worm "got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died," which was relevant to the divorce proceedings because he claimed his earning power had been diminished by the parasite.

Around the same time, the Times reported, Kennedy also suffered from mercury poisoning, which can affect cognition, and atrial fibrillation, which he described in the divorce deposition as making him feel as if "there's a bag of worms in my chest."

Another recent report noted that Kennedy posed with the barbecued remains of what he eventually claimed was a goat during a 2010 trip to South America, though some veterinarians said the animal appeared to be a dog.

But when you're generating news leads like "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been forced to deny that he took a bite out of a dog carcass," how much do the details really matter?