Cory Kennedy

Cory Kennedy-Levin, born on February 21, 1990, is an American model and Internet celebrity who gained international fame in the late 2000s. Recognized as one of the early prominent Internet "It girls" during the indie sleaze era, she first came to public attention through online photography before expanding her presence into print media, fashion modeling, and television appearances.

Kennedy was born in Santa Monica, California, and spent her early childhood moving between West Hollywood and Manhattan Beach before her family settled back in Santa Monica in 2000. She has a fraternal twin sister named Chris. Kennedy experienced clinical depression beginning in the fourth grade, and during her time at Santa Monica High School, she was enrolled in a month-long program at UCLA for clinical depression in 2003.

Her path into the public eye began in the summer of 2005 when she met photographer Mark Hunter at a Blood Brothers concert at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. Kennedy subsequently started a photojournalism internship at Hunter's office in January 2006 to fulfill a high school graduation requirement. She began attending events with Hunter, who featured her on his website as his muse. In December 2005, a series of photos titled "JFK CORY KENNEDY" prompted false rumors that she was related to the Kennedy family.

By early 2006, Kennedy's appearances on Hunter's website attracted significant traffic from fashion community sites, launching her popularity internationally starting in the Netherlands. Following a visit to the offices of Nylon magazine, she appeared in a photo shoot for a June 2006 music and MySpace issue. Her rapid rise led to features in LA Weekly and The New York Times, as well as an appearance in a mock music video for Good Charlotte's "Keep Your Hands Off My Girl" in October 2006.

Due to concerns over the impact of her sudden celebrity status on her education and health, Kennedy's parents enrolled her in a therapeutic boarding school in late 2006 while allowing her home visits on weekends. Despite these changes, her career continued to progress. In April 2007, she began writing a personal column for Nylon Magazine about rising pop culture icons. Later that year, she became the face of Urban Decay and appeared on the cover of Jalouse Magazine in photos shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

Kennedy expanded her commercial work in 2008, starring in an ad campaign for Procter & Gamble's Sebastian hair product line. From May to August 2008, Polaroid Big Shot portraits of Kennedy were exhibited at The Andy Warhol Museum after artist Glenn Kaino selected her as an "Uberstar" for a modern interpretation of Warhol's Superstars. That same year, she appeared alongside Hunter in the premiere episode of the television series 90210. In 2023, New York magazine included her in a collection highlighting influential It girls, selecting her to represent the 2000s social scene.