This week, the prolific producer Ryan Murphy adds another compelling docudrama to his acclaimed anthology collection. Known for gripping series like “American Crime Story,” “Feud,” and “Monster,” Murphy now presents “Love Story,” a new series dedicated to dramatizing the romances of famous couples.
The inaugural installment, premiering this Thursday on FX and Hulu, delves into the intense and ultimately tragic relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. They married in 1996 and, just a few years later, both perished.
As American royalty, a presidential scion, and a fashion-world professional with impeccable personal style, Kennedy and Bessette were an endlessly captivating couple to the public and the tabloids alike. Their enduring allure today is inextricably linked to their poignant and untimely deaths.
Executive produced by Murphy and created by Connor Hines, “Love Story” meticulously recounts their romance, marriage, and the myriad challenges they faced under constant media scrutiny. It assumes viewers possess a basic familiarity with the Kennedy family, as well as the media, fashion, and social landscape of 1990s Manhattan. For those less acquainted with the era, here’s a primer on what you need to know about this highly anticipated series.
Image: A woman and man dance together with globe lights illuminated all around them.
What is ‘Love Story’ about?
“Love Story,” drawing inspiration from Elizabeth Beller’s book “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy,” aims to reveal how Kennedy and Bessette fell in love, married, and navigated the intense public and media scrutiny that defined their lives. Intriguingly, the series opens not with their meeting, but on the tragic day of their deaths.
In a powerful prologue, Carolyn (portrayed by Sarah Pidgeon) meets her sister Lauren (Sydney Lemmon) and John (Paul Anthony Kelly) at a small airport. John, an experienced pilot, prepares to fly them to the wedding of his cousin Rory Elizabeth Kennedy at the family’s Hyannis Port compound on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A haunting shot of the aircraft soaring away is potent for those who know that Kennedy’s Piper Saratoga crashed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
The narrative then flashes back to 1992, the year the couple first met, largely bypassing their individual backstories. Kennedy was barely three years old when his father was assassinated, and his life, famously dubbed ‘John-John’, was exhaustively documented from childhood. For instance, a 1966 headline in The New York Times starkly read: “John F. Kennedy Jr. Burned by Hot Coals.”
As a young man, he remained a constant media fixation. People magazine crowned him “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1988, and the tabloids heavily reported his struggle with the bar exam, which he failed twice while serving as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. He eventually passed on his third attempt, but later left law to co-found and edit George, a political magazine whose inaugural issue memorably featured supermodel Cindy Crawford dressed as George Washington.
Carolyn Bessette, in contrast, was not a public figure from birth. She grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, with her mother, Ann (played by Constance Zimmer), and a stepfather. Starting as a saleswoman at a Calvin Klein store, Bessette quickly ascended the company ranks, eventually becoming the director of public relations and director of show production.
Image: A woman in a long black dress and a man in a black tuxedo walk arm in arm.
Why do they matter?
Both before and after their deaths, Kennedy and Bessette held a powerful enchantment over Americans.
Kennedy, America’s most eligible bachelor for years, grew up squarely in the public eye. (His magnetism was even parodied in the classic 1992 “Seinfeld” episode “The Contest,” where Elaine famously lusted after him.) Bessette, meanwhile, became an object of widespread fascination, not only for being the woman who finally captured Kennedy’s heart but also for her effortlessly chic style. Her wardrobe, often featuring simple yet elegant black and white pieces from designers like Prada and Yohji Yamamoto, and her inherent grace drew frequent comparisons to Kennedy’s mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Their intimate wedding ceremony further amplified their mystique, particularly Bessette’s sleek, unconventional bridal gown. Designed by her friend Narciso Rodriguez, the gown was an iconic statement and reportedly cost an estimated $40,000.
Who are the other key characters?
Bessette’s professional and social circle largely revolves around her career at Calvin Klein. Alessandro Nivola portrays the renowned designer, celebrated for his minimalist basics and groundbreaking, provocative underwear advertisements. Leila George plays his then-wife, Kelly.
The series, while inspired by actual events, does take some creative liberties. It depicts Klein as the one who introduces Carolyn to John at a fund-raiser, a detail corroborated by multiple sources, including Beller, who stated the couple met at the Calvin Klein headquarters.
When Carolyn and John first encounter each other in the series, she is casually involved with model Michael Bergin (Noah Fearnley), who gained fame for succeeding Mark Wahlberg in Calvin Klein’s underwear campaigns and later starred in “Baywatch.” Carolyn’s close friends include fellow Klein colleagues who would also go on to become notable designers: Narciso Rodriguez (Tonatiuh) and Gordon Henderson (Omari K. Chancellor).
Kennedy’s inner circle is, predictably, filled with his family members, including his mother (Naomi Watts); his sister, Caroline (Grace Gummer); and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg (Ben Shenkman). His close confidant is Anthony Radziwill (Erich Bergen), the son of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s sister, Lee Radziwill. Kennedy later co-founds his political magazine, George, with public relations professional Michael Berman (Michael Nathanson).
Before marrying Bessette, Kennedy had famously dated several high-profile women, including Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker. The series primarily focuses on his relationship with actress Daryl Hannah, known for her roles in “Splash” (1984) and “Roxanne” (1987). Hannah is convincingly portrayed by Dree Hemingway, daughter of Mariel and great-granddaughter of Ernest, who delivers a remarkably accurate impression of Hannah’s distinctive breathy voice.
Image: A man in jeans and a denim shirt and black tie holds a gray dress with a rack of clothes behind him.
Why is the series controversial?
Even before its premiere, “Love Story” generated considerable buzz and some controversy. Early photos of the cast, shared by Ryan Murphy, sparked immediate complaints from style writers and other commentators, who argued the production had misrepresented Bessette’s iconic fashion. This public outcry led the production team to implement changes, including bringing on a new costume designer. Creator Connor Hines noted to USA Today that the response provided an opportunity to “course correct or make any necessary adjustments.”
The show also drew criticism from Caroline Kennedy’s son, Jack Schlossberg, who is currently running for Congress. He expressed his disapproval on Instagram, stating, “I think admiration for my Uncle John is great. What I don’t think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way.” Murphy later responded on a podcast, suggesting it was an “odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don’t remember.” In turn, Schlossberg posted several heartfelt memories of his uncle, including details about Kennedy and Bessette’s wedding ceremony.
“I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding,” Schlossberg wrote, “and the day he died.”