Ryan Murphy's "American Love Story" Series: Who Were JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy?

The UK may have a royal family, but America has the Kennedys — and let’s be honest, that comes pretty close. Known as America’s Prince, John F. Kennedy Jr. was born into political royalty and died in a modern American tragedy. Now, he’s back in the spotlight with the upcoming TV series "American Love Story", which dives into his whirlwind relationship with fashion icon Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Buckle up because this is about to be our next fixation!

From politics and fashion to love and money, this TV show is about to give us everything! But who were JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette? Born as the son of the 35th president of the United States John F. Kennedy, JFK Jr., also known as “John John”, grew up in the spotlight. Despite constant media attention, and being branded America’s most eligible bachelor for years with movie star good looks and charisma to match, JFK Jr. remained a very private person. With a degree from Brown and a law license in hand, JFK Jr. seemed destined for politics. But the young Kennedy went a bit of a different route and founded his own trendy political magazine George, which aimed to combine state affairs with pop culture. Plus, he even had a brief acting career!

But the spotlight didn’t shine on JFK Jr. alone – by his side was his wife Carolyn Bessette. They met while she was working at Calvin Klein, first as a saleswoman and then as the director of publicity. Bessette was renowned for her chic, effortless, and, above all, timeless style and is still regarded as a style icon today, so you might have seen her pop up on your Pinterest page!

But it wasn’t all love and roses – the couple was often seen fighting in Central Park and was hounded by the press, which put a serious strain on their relationship. But the real tragedy came in 1999, when the couple was on their way to a family wedding with Carolyn’s sister. John was flying the small plane when they suddenly crashed near Martha’s Vineyard, killing all three on board.

So, who is bringing this story to life? John will be played by Paul Anthony Kelly and Carolyn will be portrayed by Sarah Pidgeon, who just starred in the Tony Award-winning play Stereophonic. We can also expect to see Noah Fearnley in the supporting role of Michael Bergin, Bessette’s ex-boyfriend, whom she reportedly kept seeing during her marriage. We’ll also get to see Naomi Watts as the iconic Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein himself. But that’s not all! Also appearing in the show will be Meryl Streep’s daughter Grace Gummer as well as Leila George, the daughter of Vincent D’Onofrio. The show will be produced by Ryan Murphy with Max Winkler directing the pilot.

"American Love Story" just started filming and is set to come out in February 2026 just in time for Valentine’s Day. How fitting for America’s greatest love story! We will definitely be watching!