Joan Kennedy, the first wife of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, has passed away at the age of 89.

She died peacefully in her sleep at home, as confirmed by a family spokesperson. Joan Kennedy was married to the late senator for 24 years. The couple had three children: Kara, Ted Jr., and Patrick.

Kennedy struggled for many years with alcoholism and depression, and became one of the first women in the United States to speak publicly about her battle with addiction.

Joan Bennett Kennedy was a model and pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958.