A new series diving into one of America’s most tragic love stories has reignited debate about where artistic freedom ends and exploitation begins.
FX and Hulu’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” premiering Thursday, chronicles the romance between the son of President John F. Kennedy and fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette—from their first encounter at a party to their devastating deaths in a 1999 plane crash.
But not everyone is celebrating this retelling.
Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s nephew and current congressional candidate, has publicly condemned the project, calling it a “grotesque” way to profit off his family’s legacy.
Family Drama Spills Into Public View
Schlossberg didn’t mince words when he spoke out against the series last year, directly accusing executive producer Ryan Murphy of “making millions” from Kennedy’s story. Murphy fired back during an appearance on California Governor Gavin Newsom’s podcast, questioning Schlossberg’s connection to his uncle.
It was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don’t remember.
That response prompted Schlossberg to take to social media, sharing personal memories of his uncle to counter Murphy’s dismissal.
Interestingly, Murphy has been notably absent from the press circuit promoting “Love Story,” leaving executive producer Brad Simpson to address the controversy.
Walking The Line Between Entertainment And Ethics
Simpson, who has worked extensively on Murphy’s “American Crime Story” projects, acknowledged the delicate balance his team faces when adapting real tragedies for television.
I’m not going to pretend like on some level we’re not making an entertainment product out of it, but we’ve tried to be ethical and we’ve tried to be incredibly sincere.
Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon, portraying Kennedy and Bessette respectively, say they approached their roles with reverence and respect. Both actors expressed understanding for Schlossberg’s position.
Pidgeon’s response carried particular empathy for the family’s perspective.
I don’t know what it’s like to have a TV show or a movie or a book written about my family, and I understand his sensitivities, and I fully support him speaking his mind.
Kelly emphasized their intentions behind bringing these real people to life.
We tried to have as much integrity and love going into this and retelling that I hope that people see that.
What The Series Actually Covers
Based on Elizabeth Beller’s book “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy,” the series explores much more than tabloid romance.
Episodes showcase Bessette’s professional ambition as she climbed through Calvin Klein’s ranks, while Kennedy struggled to keep George magazine viable. Grace Gummer portrays Caroline Kennedy, and Naomi Watts takes on the role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her final days.
According to the show’s narrative, Kennedy and Bessette’s relationship started with an electric first date that went dormant for years after tabloids reported his reunion with actress Daryl Hannah, played by Dree Hemingway.
From Skeptic To Believer
Even Pidgeon admitted initial concerns about the project’s intentions before discovering the team’s commitment to authenticity.
I felt a fear that we were going to sensationalize this. And then as I got on board the project that could not be, in my experience, further from the truth.
Extensive Research Claims
Creator Connor Hines defends the series as “extensively researched,” detailing his process of consuming every available source.
We obviously had Elizabeth’s book, but I read every single newspaper article that was written about them, every tell-all. Obviously, all of that material has to be taken with a grain of salt, and you have to be very judicious in terms of how you extract some of this information, because people have their own memories, people have their own slights, but we were exhaustive and diligent in how we approached this.
History Repeating Itself
“Love Story” isn’t breaking new ground when it comes to Kennedy family controversy over dramatizations.
Back in 2011, The History Channel pulled a miniseries starring Greg Kinnear as President Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy after family associates complained about script inaccuracies. That show eventually found a home on Reelz Channel instead.
More Kennedy content is already in development. Netflix announced “Kennedy,” a series exploring the dynasty’s origins based on Fredrik Logevall’s biography “JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956,” with Michael Fassbender cast as family patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr.
The ongoing fascination with America’s most famous political family continues generating both compelling television and heated ethical debates about whose stories deserve to be told—and who gets to tell them.