Inside Robert And Katherine Oppenheimer's Troubled Family Life

According to the Atomic Heritage Foundation, Kitty was a botanist who had already been married three times before marrying Robert. In fact, she was married to her third husband, Richard Harrison, when she met her future fourth husband. At the time, Spartacus Educational reported, Robert himself was in a relationship with a woman named Jean Tatlock. Tatlock, per another article from the Atomic Heritage Foundation, was a psychologist and a known communist party member. Kitty herself also had communist ties. Her second husband, Joe Dallet, was a member of the American Communist Party. Kitty reportedly tried to join the party but instead joined the Young Communist League (YCL).

The Mercury News states that despite the marriage between Robert and Kitty, he continued to have relationships with other women, including with Tatlock. Per The Atlantic, the affair continued even when Robert and Kitty moved from Pasadena, California to Los Alamos in 1943. In 1944, Tatlock died (via the Atomic Heritage Foundation). Many believe that she decided to end her life after suffering from depression. Whatever the case, Robert's affair with her came to light during his 1954 security hearing. When asked why he continued to see Tatlock, he replied, "Because she was still in love with me" (per The Atlantic).

Spartacus Educational explains that the trial resulted in Robert Oppenheimer being found not guilty of treason. Both he and Kitty stated they were loyal to the United States. Nevertheless, he was stripped of his security clearance (via Britannica). The Atomic Energy Commission found that through Kitty and Tatlock, Robert was too closely associated with communism.

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