Key Insights
- Show Reaction: FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette has sparked mixed reactions from viewers and those connected to the couple.
- Daryl Hannah’s Response: Actress Daryl Hannah criticized the series for its inaccurate portrayal of her relationship with JFK Jr.
- Jack Schlossberg’s Critique: Jack Schlossberg, JFK Jr.’s nephew, labeled the show as “fiction” and criticized its creator.
- Gender Dynamics: Daryl highlighted the gendered implications of storytelling in popular culture.
FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette has gripped viewers all over the U.S., but not everyone is pleased with the show. Although we no longer have the real-life John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette — both of whom died in a 1999 plane crash — others who were connected to the couple have spoken out about the Ryan Murphy-produced series.
Read how several public figures connected to the Kennedys have reacted to Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah, who dated JFK Jr. on and off from the late 1980s to 1994, wrote a scathing essay blasting the series for its portrayal of her and her past relationship with the late attorney.
“The character ‘Daryl Hannah’ portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John,” the Splash alum wrote in her New York Times essay. “The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue. I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial. I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s. It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.”
Daryl Hannah has thoughts about her depiction in the new show LOVE STORY: pic.twitter.com/1ZAZXENgUC
— James Pethokoukis (@JimPethokoukis) March 6, 2026
Daryl further pointed out that “storytelling requires tension. It often requires an obstacle. But a real, living person is not a narrative device. There is also a gendered dimension to this thinking.”
“Popular culture has long elevated certain women by portraying others as rivals, obstacles or villains. Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?” Daryl asked.
Jack Schlossberg
Jack Schlossberg, the nephew of JFK Jr., briefly spoke about the show during a CBS Sunday Morning interview, and he made a dig at Ryan, who executive produced Love Story.
Jack Schlossberg sharply criticizes Ryan Murphy’s series “Love Story,” about his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, calling it “a capital F for fiction” and accusing Murphy of profiting off a “grotesque display” of his family’s life.@JBKSchlossberg suggests… pic.twitter.com/J0VRF3WBzn
— CBS Sunday Morning (@CBSSunday) March 3, 2026
“Well, if you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,” Jack said. “I would just want people who do watch the show to watch it with one letter in mind, and that’s a capital F for fiction. The guy knows nothing about what he’s talking about, and he’s making a ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else’s life.”
