Love Story's Paul Anthony Kelly Welcomes First Baby with Wife Syd Widziszewski-Kelly

The actor who plays JFK Jr. on the FX series is now a real-life dad.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Paul Anthony Kelly, who portrays John F. Kennedy Jr. on the FX series Love Story, and his wife Syd Widziszewski-Kelly have welcomed their first child together. The baby's due date was originally set for January 7, which was the birthday of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the character Kelly's wife plays on the show.

Why it matters

The new parents are experiencing major life events at the same time as their on-screen counterparts, blending their real lives with the roles they play on the hit FX drama about the relationship between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

The details

Kelly shared the news of his newborn on a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, admitting that being a new parent is "an understatement" when it comes to being tired. The Canadian model married Syd in May 2023 and landed the role of JFK Jr. after a series of callbacks. The couple is now based in Portland, Oregon, which they call their "home base."

  • Kelly and his wife found out they were pregnant on May 1, 2023.
  • The baby was originally due on January 7, 2026, which was Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's birthday.

The players

Paul Anthony Kelly

An actor who plays JFK Jr. on the FX series Love Story.

Syd Widziszewski-Kelly

Paul Anthony Kelly's wife, who plays Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy on the FX series Love Story.

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What they’re saying

“We're in Portland. That's our home base now, my wife and I. So I do the Zoom, and right before we're about to go for dinner for our second wedding anniversary, she tells me we're pregnant. May 1 was a big day.”

— Paul Anthony Kelly, Actor (Interview)

“The baby comes in January. Originally the baby was estimated to come January 7, which was Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's birthday.”

— Paul Anthony Kelly, Actor (Interview)

The takeaway

The real-life experiences of the Love Story cast are mirroring the on-screen drama, as the actors who portray the iconic couple of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy navigate their own major life milestones like pregnancy and marriage.