Aristotle Onassis had met Jackie on several occasions during her marriage to Jack. After Patrick's death in August 1963, she had accepted an invitation from him to cruise the Mediterranean on his yacht with her sister and other guests. On that occasion, some suspected Onassis was simply trying to develop a relationship with the Kennedys that could help him get some contracts with the U.S. government, something he hadn't been able to do since being found guilty of fraud by the FBI. But it was obvious to others that he also found Jackie beguiling.

Beginnings of a Relationship

The route the cruise took, from Smyrna to Ithaca, was intended to impress the guests. It was also symbolic of how Onassis saw himself: as a modern-day Odysseus who overcame many obstacles on his journey to success. Jackie, for one, was intrigued by Onassis's colorful past. Not everyone in her husband's administration, however, shared her fascination. Some of his advisors were worried that having the First Lady socializing with a man of questionable business ethics might be a political liability — especially with the election a little over a year away. Kennedy defended his wife's desire to go on the trip. Even so, the White House issued a statement saying the First Lady was going to leave on a vacation to Greece with her sister and brother-in-law, carefully omitting any mention of Onassis.

For the first few days, Onassis was scarcely around, spending most of his time alone in his room. At Jackie's urging, he became more social, and she listened to his stories until late into the night. She asked him flirtatious questions, which he answered coyly. There has been speculation that Jackie and Onassis became physically intimate on the cruise. Friends adamantly deny she would have risked the reputation of the presidency to get involved with anyone while she was First Lady. But there's no dispute that by the time the cruise ended, there was a mutual, if tacit, attraction between the two. Jackie had always been drawn to wealthy, powerful men; Onassis enjoyed the added clout having a direct line to the Kennedys gave him. Each of Onassis's guests received a gift at the end of the trip. Jackie's was a gold and ruby bracelet worth nearly a half a million dollars in today's currency. It was the first move in a long-term seduction.

Secret Liaisons

Jackie moved to New York after Kennedy's death, and Onassis — who owned a suite at the Pierre Hotel — became a regular fixture in Jackie's life. They met for dinner in Manhattan and Paris, and he attended dinner parties she threw. Neither the media nor most of Jackie's circle imagined that she was romantically involved with Onassis, so few paid attention to their ongoing relationship, especially since Onassis was still involved with Callas.

By early 1968, Jackie had begun to seriously contemplate marrying Onassis. Bobby and most of the other Kennedys were not supportive and asked her to delay any decision until after the election. They also worried that Jackie's relationship with Onassis would sully the Kennedy name. Jackie's sister was equally unhappy but for different reasons. Lee had allegedly had an affair with Onassis previously and had wanted to marry him, but Onassis was not interested in marrying Lee. So when he started pursuing Jackie, it was a double blow to her. Many people point to this rebuff as the root of Lee and Jackie's eventual estrangement.