WWE hiring of RFK Jr.’s niece Zoe Hines said to be ‘politically forced’ | Exclusive

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer provided an update on WWE’s hiring of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s niece, Zoe Hines.

Hines was announced as part of WWE’s latest rookie class on Wednesday. She is a former college softball player from Boston College and took part in tryouts held over SummerSlam week last year.

Last October, Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE may feel “pressure” to hire Hines, writing:

“There is the feeling that they may feel pressure to do something with her if she wants to go into this. Perhaps it’s unfounded but we’ve heard it from multiple places.”

With Hines now officially signed to WWE, Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez went into further detail regarding the situation on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer said on the show:

“I certainly heard a lot about Zoe Hines, I’d say six months ago, and it was very much like this is one that was politically forced on them.

I mean, she’s a real athlete, she’s a softball player. When she had her tryout, it’s not like she knocked them dead or even knocked them even. It was very much said that it was a forced hiring because of who she was and because of Robert F. Kennedy and Linda McMahon both being in the cabinet, and it was just, she wanted to try.”

“It was like Simone Johnson, the same thing,” Meltzer added.

“I had heard people very much dreading this. As far as the hiring of her, I would say it was probably known easily a year ago that it was inevitable that this would happen.

The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio is available here for our subscribers.

WWE introduces RFK Jr’s niece as part of latest rookie class

Even after making cuts last Friday, WWE is always continuing to add young talent to the Performance Center, formally announcing four new would-be wrestlers on Wednesday as part of their latest rookie class.

One of those joining the fray is Zoe Hines, the niece of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm).

A college softball player who graduated from Boston College, Hines also competed for France’s national softball team in addition to its U22 program. She was part of last year’s tryouts during SummerSlam weekend and her uncle revealed earlier this year that she had signed a deal.

Hines joins three others:

  • Alyssa Daniele: She took part in January’s tryouts and has a past in modeling.
  • Garrett Beck: A lacrosse player for Grand Canyon University, Beck signed a WWE NIL deal nearly a year ago.
  • Nicholas Panicali: He is a former volleyball player for Sacred Heart University.

RFK Jr. reveals WWE signed his niece to a contract

WWE has signed the niece of polarizing political official Robert Kennedy Jr., revealed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary himself.

Speaking at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine Thursday, Kennedy was introducing U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon when he revealed Zoe Hines “recently signed a contract with WWE to become a wrestler.”

He then joked, “I’m really looking forward to knowing so many good doctors who can treat her after” before introducing McMahon whom he called a close friend.

Hines took part in last August’s SummerSlam tryouts. It’s unknown when she actually signed.

A college softball player who graduated from Boston College, she is the niece of actress Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) who is married to Kennedy. She also competed for France’s national softball team in addition to its U22 program.

Kennedy has been linked to Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon as part of the revived President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.

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RFK Jr.’s niece takes part in WWE SummerSlam tryouts

Boston College softball player Zoe Hines attended last week’s WWE tryouts.

Hines is the niece of actress Cheryl Hines, who is married to Robert Kennedy Jr, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is currently in her senior year playing at BCU, and appears to have recently graduated. She is also a member of France’s national softball team as well as its U22 program.

“Grateful for the opportunity, the experience, and the people. Honored to represent @wwe at the 2025 SummerSlam Tryout,” Hines wrote on Instagram.

WWE’s tryouts took place last Thursday in New Jersey as part of SummerSlam week. That same day, Triple H appeared at the White House for an executive order signing on sports, fitness, and nutrition, as well as reviving the Presidential Fitness Test.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon also met with RKF Jr. in June. RFK posted to social media that he was strategizing with them about the upcoming council.

“Met today with @TripleH and @StephMcMahon to strategize about the upcoming President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition,” he wrote.

Triple H responded to RFK’s post:

“Thank you for having us, @SecKennedy. Always striving to do whatever we can to help make our nation’s youth as healthy as they can be.”

Prior to starting at Boston College, Hines was a four-sport varsity athlete at her high school. She posted about her WWE tryout to Instagram: