Jack Schlossberg, the nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr, has strongly criticised Ryan Murphy's new television series about his late uncle and Carolyn Bessette. The nine-episode FX show, titled Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette, is based on Elizabeth Beller's 2024 book and follows the couple's romance in the 1990s.
In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Schlossberg called the series a 'grotesque display of someone else's life' and urged viewers to watch it with 'a capital F for fiction'. He also accused Murphy of profiting from the Kennedy family's story without understanding them, saying: 'If you want to know someone who's never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy.'
Schlossberg, who is running for Congress in New York's 12th district, suggested Murphy should donate some of the show's profits to causes championed by John F. Kennedy Jr and to help preserve President John F. Kennedy's legacy. He also questioned Murphy's motives, adding: 'If Ryan Murphy really cares so much about the Kennedy family, maybe he would try to do something about getting Trump out of power.'
The Kennedy family was not consulted about the series, as confirmed by executive producer Nina Jacobson, who said they wanted to maintain 'multiplicities of view'. Murphy previously responded to Schlossberg's criticism by saying it was 'an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don't remember'.
Despite the backlash, executive producer Brad Simpson told the Hollywood Reporter that they approached the story 'with love' and aimed to celebrate the lives of Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr. Actress Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Bessette, expressed hope that viewers would see the 'integrity and respect' with which the show was made.
This is not the first time a Murphy production has faced criticism from those connected to the real-life story. His Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was also condemned by the families of Dahmer's victims.
