Annette Bening Debunks Ryan Murphy Series Portrayal of Her Meeting Carolyn Bessette
Annette Bening has publicly debunked the portrayal of her character in the buzzy new Ryan Murphy series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. The acclaimed actress confirmed that a standout scene from the show, which depicts her being styled by Carolyn Bessette, never actually took place in real life.
Fictional Scene Versus Real-Life Facts
In the series, a memorable scene shows Bessette, played by Sarah Pidgeon, styling Bening, portrayed by Megan Channell, while working for Calvin Klein, with Alessandro Nivola as the fashion designer. The scene is set as Bessette prepares Bening for the premiere of her 1991 gangster classic Bugsy, which starred her alongside Warren Beatty, whom she married shortly thereafter.
However, Bening, 67, has now clarified via Good Morning America that this encounter did not happen. She stated, "I had heard that this was happening and a number of people mentioned it to me so I watched the scene. I felt very flattered by the actress. I thought she was wonderful. It didn't happen in real life. I met Carolyn Bessette once at Calvin Klein, but no, it didn't happen that way."
Bening also pointed out a key factual error in the show's portrayal. She emphasized that at the time of the Bugsy premiere in Los Angeles in December 1991, she was nine months pregnant with her and Beatty's son Stephen, making the depicted scenario impossible.
Historical Inaccuracies and Family Criticism
This is not the first time a Ryan Murphy production has faced criticism for historical inaccuracies. A decade ago, Kris Jenner disputed her portrayal in The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, noting she was pregnant with her daughter Kendall Jenner during the events depicted.
Meanwhile, JFK Jr.'s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, has renewed his attack on the series, calling it "grotesque". Schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy and the last living grandchild of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is running for the retiring Jerry Nadler's congressional seat in New York.
He criticized Murphy, saying, "If you want to know someone who's never met anyone in my family - knows nothing about us - talk to Ryan Murphy." Schlossberg urged viewers to watch the show with a capital "F" for fiction, stating, "The guy knows nothing about what he's talking about and he's making a ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else's life."
Calls for Donations and Ongoing Controversy
Schlossberg further hectored Murphy to donate proceeds from the show to causes championed by John F. Kennedy Jr. or to the JFK Library. He complained, "He's making money. This is not a documentary and I'll leave it at that." Last year, when Murphy posted first-look images from the show, Schlossberg commented, admonishing him to "maybe consider DONATING PROFITS TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY," to which Murphy replied, "I absolutely will."
The controversy highlights ongoing debates about the accuracy of biographical dramas and their impact on real-life figures and their families.
