Bunny Mellon, the Listerine heiress and Kennedy confidante who became ensnared in the John Edwards love child scandal, dies aged 103

  • Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon died at her Virginia horse farm
  • Her wealth from the Listerine fortune and marriage to banker Paul Mellon brought her company including British royalty and the Kennedy family
  • She helped decorate the White House, redesigned the Rose Garden and became a lifelong friend to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

By Associated Press and Ryan Gorman

PUBLISHED: 14:28 EST, 17 March 2014 | UPDATED: 17:28 EST, 17 March 2014

Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, the deeply private heiress caught up in the spectacular downfall of former Senator John Edwards' political career, has died at 103.

Her longtime personal attorney Alexander Forger said from his office in New York City that Mellon died of natural causes Monday at her 4,000-acre horse farm in Upperville, Virginia.

Mellon was long a part of the political scene dating back to the Kennedy White House, but was thrust into the public spotlight as a major donor of the now-disgraced Edwards' failed 2008 presidential bid.

Death of an icon: Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon (left), pictured in 1964 with husband Paul Mellon and stepdaughter Eliza Lloyd, has died at 103-years-old

Death of an icon: Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon (left), pictured in 1964 with husband Paul Mellon and stepdaughter Eliza Lloyd, has died at 103-years-old

She was thrust into it the American consciousness after almost a century avoiding it when Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was indicted in 2011 for using what prosecutors alleged was campaign money, including $750,000 from Mellon, to hide mistress Rielle Hunter and their child during his 2008 campaign.

Edwards staffers took to calling her large gifts 'Bunny Money,' and was intended for the Senator's personal use, her lawyer said during a 2011 inquiry into his possible misappropriation of donations, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The attorney said Mellon was unaware where the money was funneled, she was never charged with any wrongdoing.

She stuck by her man despite the controversy, telling Newsweek in a 2011 interview, calling him a 'great friend' and saying 'he would have been a great president.'

John Edwards
Rielle Hunter

A 'great friend': Mellon stuck by former North Carolina Senator John Edwards (left) despite him using money she donated to his failed 2008 presidential campaign to coverup a love child father with Rielle Hunter (right)

Her name also found its way onto front pages after former investment adviser Kenneth Starr was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding clients.

Both she and her late husband recommended the con artist to friends, and she expressed regret at being part of their losses, friends told Newsweek.

Mellon's wealth first came from Listerine, her grandfather Jordan Lambert invented it. She inherited the fortune long before marrying industrialist-turned-banker Paul Mellon, who inherited his fortune from father Andrew Mellon.

 

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One of the wealthiest couples in America at the time of their 1948 marriage, they delved into a life of philanthropy, supporting the arts and other causes.

Their wealth brought them famous company including Queen Elizabeth II and husband Prince Phillip, as well as several American politicians including soon-to-be President John F Kennedy and wife Jacqueline Kennedy.

Bunny was invited to the White House soon after JFK won the 1960 election - the new first lady leaned on her for the tips on interior design and entertaining that became a hallmark of the Kennedy White House.

The last known photograph: A then-90-year-old 'Bunny' Mellon speaking during a January, 2000, open house for the Piedmont Child Care Center, a non-profit child care cente

The last known photograph: A then-90-year-old 'Bunny' Mellon speaking during a January, 2000, open house for the Piedmont Child Care Center, a non-profit child care cente

Bunny and Jackie were such close friends that Mellon chartered the private jet that flew the two women to Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral after his 1968 assassination.

Mellon was also tipped to redesign Rose Garden into the space it is today after decades of neglect, according to the Journal. Her familiarity also led to her being the floral director for JFK's funeral a few years later.

All of this came at the cost of husband Paul Mellon having what Newsweek, citing a Washington Post report, called 'a wandering eye.'

He carried on multiple affairs during their marriage, to the point she even invited one of his mistresses on a family vacation, according to the Post.

In the end, though, she found herself blind and alone with her Virginia horse farm and a team of servants.

'It’s hard being 100 and blind, she told Newsweek. 'I don’t mind being 100, I can cope with that, but not seeing is very scary.'


Comments (9)

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She had to be nuts to give all that money to John Edwards for setting up his lover. Sure she knew about it and turned a blind eye, no pun intended. Why is it that some have so much without doing anything but by virtue of being born that they really have no idea how to use it wisely, and some have so little that they can try all they want but never seem to make ends meet?

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I am so sad to here she passed. She was the most generous and human down to earth friend I knew. Its remarkable and not surprising she lived such a long healthy life. Rest in peace...

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MANIPULATIVE woman.

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I would like to be breathing much less doing pilates at 100. An amazing life this woman had.

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Wealth didn't buy her wisdom.

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I feel like it was kind of mean to use that "last known photo" of Bunny. Bad angle, and just not a flattering shot at all.

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God Rest Her. The last of the great socialites, like Nan Kempner and Brooke Astor.

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God bless her. She did wonderful work and had fabulous taste. Mellon was long known for her maximal discretion and minimal public exposure. In a rare 1969 New York Times article, she proclaimed that "nothing should be noticed".......Now she'll be able to see again.

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Bunny Mellon was reportedly one of the last people to personally say good-bye to Jackie Kennedy. She was most definitely in the apartment and maybe sitting alongside the bed when Jackie passed away. This has been well documented.

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