I Haven’t Watched the JFK Jr. Show, But I Am Enjoying All the Drama It’s Stirred Up

If you’ve spent any time haunting a West Village coffee shop or scrolling TikTok recently, you’ve probably noticed a new IT couple stealing our hearts and influencing our streetwear: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, the subjects of FX’s Love Story, a new show from Ryan Murphy that chronicles the late couple’s relationship.

 

I tried to get into the first episode, but no amount of CBK’s chicness or Paul Anthony Kelly’s bone structure can glaze over the Ryan Murphy–ness of it all. The best part of the show, though—at least, to me—is all the drama it’s stirred up. Several celebs have emerged to make public statements denouncing it, and I love it when that happens! And the fact that it’s happening with a Ryan Murphy show makes it all the more fun.

 

Daryl Hannah—who dated JFK Jr. before he met and married Bessette—went so far as to condemn the entire show in a guest essay for The New York Times titled “How Can ‘Love Story’ Get Away With This?” It’s not even an Instagram story callout. It’s a full op-ed! The drama! 

 

In the essay, she calls the show “tragedy-exploiting” and claims that the version of her portrayed is “not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct, or my relationship with John. The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue.” The pair had an on-again/off-again relationship for roughly five years, but officially broke up in 1994. 

 

Hannah also called her on-screen self “irritating, self-absorbed, whiny, and inappropriate.” Which… well, yeah, I’d be pissed, too. 

 

Rosanna Arquette, a longtime friend of Hannah, also came out of the woodwork, posting a supportive statement on Instagram: “The portrayal of her on the streaming thing is bullshit. Her love with John F. Kennedy Jr. was real and some of the happiest times he ever had—just ask his family. But no one did.”

 

And it does appear no one did. Because when anything happens in Kennedy Land, we must turn to the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., Jack Schlossberg, who, we can confirm, has been deeply unhappy about Murphy’s storytelling. “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,” he recently told CBS This Morning.

 

Despite the backlash, the true bellwether of any TV show’s success these days is social media, and by that measure, Love Story has struck gold. “JFK Jr. Lookalike Contents” are popping up in every major city, and it seems a new item from CBK’s wardrobe is trending every day, as people attempt to recreate her minimalist, “quiet luxury” style, which, as a side note, has got to be some sort of recession indicator. 

 

Again, I’ve tried so many times with Mr. Murphy, and I’ve ultimately decided that the two of us just don’t click. But sorry, I have to join the discourse, guys! It’s too juicy to resist. What can I say? Is it fact? Is it fiction? Or is it just…based on a true story?

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