Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series American Love Story may be bringing the romance and tragedy of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette to the screen but not everyone is applauding the move. In fact, a key member of the Kennedy family has spoken out against it.
The series, part of Murphy’s larger American Story anthology, casts newcomer Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette. It will chronicle their whirlwind romance in the 1990s, their glamorous wedding in 1996, and their tragic deaths in a 1999 plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard. JFK Jr. was 38 while Carolyn was 33.
Now in a public statement, JFK Jr.’s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, took to Instagram to set the record straight about the family’s involvement, or lack thereof. “Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man,” Schlossberg said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories on June 19. “For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with, the new shows being made about him, the answer is no. And there’s really not much we can do.”
Schlossberg, the 32-year-old son of JFK Jr.’s sister, Caroline Kennedy, explained that legally, the family has little control over the show: “The right to privacy, which includes the ability to control your own name, image and likeness, doesn’t survive death in the state of New York. For that matter, he’s considered a public figure, so there’s not much we can do.”
Still, he urged the creators to approach the project with sensitivity and respect for his uncle’s legacy. “I hope those making these shows about him take seriously what he stood for in his life, all that he achieved in it. And that they donate some of the profits [that] they’re making,” he added. And while he clarified that he’s not against public admiration of JFK Jr., he drew the line at exploitation. “For the record, 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,” he concluded.
American Love Story is the latest installment in Murphy’s anthology universe, which includes American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and American Sports Story. The new series will also feature Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette, and Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein. A release date has not yet been announced.
