Robert F. Kennedy Jr once claimed he had a worm that ate part of his brain before dying inside his head.
The revelation was in a 2012 deposition reviewed by the New York Times.
"I have cognitive problems, clearly," the presidential candidate said in the deposition. "I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me."
The deposition was in connection with a divorce from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy.
He was trying to prove his earning power had been diminished by his cognitive struggles, according to the report.
Doctors not familiar with the specifics of Kennedy's health said it was unlikely that a parasite would eat part of his brain, but another issue Kennedy was battling at the time, mercury poisoning, could cause cause memory issues
Kennedy was eating a diet heavy on fish, which are known to have elevated mercury levels.
When questioned about the health issues, Kennedy said he had experienced "severe brain fog" and had trouble retrieving words but has fully recovered.
Kennedy, 70, is running for president and has touted his younger age and health as reasons to vote for him over President Biden, 81, and Donald Trump, 77.
Kennedy has suffered from a number of ailments over the years including atrial fibrillation, spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder that causes his vocal cords to push too close together, and hepatitis C from drug use when he was younger.
The campaign declined to provide his medical records to The Times.
