Kennedy Clan 'Hate the Idea' of JFK Jr and Wife Carolyn's 'Love Legacy' Being Turned into Tacky Movie or Streaming Series — 'They Want Them to Rest in Peace'
Kennedy Jr. and Bessette are the subject of a new docuseries.
April 8 2025, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
The Kennedy family is on edge, RadarOnline.com can report, as television producer Ryan Murphy begins production on the latest in his American Stories anthology – American Love Story.
After focusing on such high-profile subjects like O.J. Simpson, Monica Lewinsky and the Menendez Brothers, Murphy plans to next tell the love story of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his style icon wife, Carolyn Bessette.
The two lost their lives in a private plane crash in 1999.
JFK Jr. and Bessette met their tragic fate on July 16, 1999, alongside Carolyn's sister Lauren when he crashed the plane he was piloting off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. Carolyn was 33; Lauren was 34. JFK Jr. was 38.
After years in development, Murphy's show has finally gotten the green light, as producers recently announced Tony-nominated actress Sarah Pidgeon, 28, will play Carolyn. The casting of JFK Jr. is still underway, with several actors testing for the role.
However, a family insider said the family will likely be tuning out: "They understand the fascination with John's life, his marriage and his death, but it's still a very painful memory, which is why they're bracing for the worst with this upcoming TV series."
A memorial was formed outside his apartment.
The first season of the show is expected to chronicle the rollercoaster romance of Kennedy and Bessette, which started as a fairy tale but was plagued by the stress of their own celebrity.
The source said the show has put everyone at the Kennedy estate on alert: "They are divided over their response to this but are doing everything they can to have as much control as Ryan will let them."
The insider continued: "The family really just want John and Carolyn to be left to rest in peace. They don't endorse this project, and they're anxious about what Ryan has planned."
JFK Jr. has always fascinated fans.
Kennedy Jr. has long captivated the world. JFK's heartbreaker son was linked to a slew of famous women, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Daryl Hannah, Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford and Madonna, who sources claimed left him racy voice messages.
But the love of John's life was Carolyn, the former Calvin Klein publicist he dated on and off until they wed in 1996. John reportedly never forgave himself for failing to introduce her to his mother before her death.
Though Carolyn was John's great love, their marriage was struggling before the fateful plane ride.
A source told Radar: "They were going through a rough patch. They were at odds over having children — he was ready to start a family and she wasn't sure she wanted to bring kids into their world."
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According to John's friend Steven M. Gillon, he "struggled his entire life to have an identity that was separate from his family. He always said, 'I don't want to do what people expect me to do. I want to do something different.'"
But the historian and friend claimed John had dreams of eventually making it to the White House like his father. "I think about it often, how much better off our country would have been had John not made the foolish decision to take his plane up on the hot humid July evening."
"The one thing John will always share with his father is this sense of what might have been."
