New FX and Hulu Series 'Love Story' Revisits JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette

The show has stirred backlash from the Kennedy family, but producers say they aimed for sincerity in retelling the couple's tragic story.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The new FX and Hulu series 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' attempts to chronicle the relationship and lives of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, culminating in their tragic deaths in a 1999 plane crash. The show has faced criticism from Kennedy's nephew, Jack Schlossberg, who accused the producers of 'profiting off his family in a grotesque way.' However, the producers say they've tried to be 'ethical' and 'sincere' in their approach, drawing from extensive research including the book 'Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.'

Why it matters

The Kennedy family legacy remains deeply revered, but also closely guarded. This new dramatized series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship and untimely deaths has stirred up tensions, highlighting the challenges of portraying real-life tragedies involving famous figures in an ethical and sensitive manner.

The details

The series details the couple's meet-cute at a party, their courtship, and their private 1996 wedding, before culminating in the 1999 plane crash that killed them and Bessette's sister Lauren. It features actors Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon as the titular couple, as well as Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy and Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The show's creator, Connor Hines, says they conducted extensive research, including reading 'every single newspaper article that was written about them.'

  • The series premieres on FX and Hulu on Thursday, February 13, 2026.
  • JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were killed in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.

The players

John F. Kennedy Jr.

The son of former President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was a magazine publisher and lawyer.

Carolyn Bessette

A fashion publicist who was married to John F. Kennedy Jr. until their deaths in a 1999 plane crash.

Jack Schlossberg

The nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., who has spoken out against the new series, accusing the producers of 'profiting off his family in a grotesque way.'

Ryan Murphy

The executive producer of the 'Love Story' series, who defended the project against Schlossberg's criticism.

Brad Simpson

A veteran producer of Ryan Murphy's 'American Crime Story' projects, who says the creative team has 'tried to be ethical and incredibly sincere' in their approach.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Brad Simpson, Executive Producer (The Associated Press)

“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.”

— Sarah Pidgeon, Actress portraying Carolyn Bessette (The Associated Press)

“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 and I think that will ring true when people watch it.”

— Connor Hines, Creator of 'Love Story' series (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The series 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' premieres on FX and Hulu on Thursday, February 13, 2026.

The takeaway

This new dramatized series about the relationship and tragic deaths of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette highlights the ongoing challenges of portraying real-life events and famous figures in an ethical and sensitive manner, especially when it involves a deeply revered family like the Kennedys.