Ryan Murphy's latest limited series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, has become the most-watched limited series in FX's history on Disney+ and Hulu, according to internal Disney viewership data. The series, which premiered its first three episodes on 12 February, has amassed over 25 million hours of viewing across its first five episodes.
The show chronicles the romance and high-profile relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr., an attorney, and his publicist wife Carolyn Bessette, before their tragic deaths in a 1999 plane crash. It stars Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr, Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, and Naomi Watts as former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
Viewership has increased with each weekly episode drop, with the fifth episode attracting 51 per cent more viewers than the premiere, as reported by Deadline. The series is the latest controversial project from Murphy, who has faced criticism for glamorising serial killers and profiting from tragedy in previous shows about Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers.
The series faced initial backlash last summer when first-look images of Pidgeon and Kelly were released, with some criticising costumes and casting choices. JFK Jr's nephew, Jack Schlossberg, publicly condemned the series, stating his family was not consulted and accusing Murphy of profiting 'in a grotesque way'. Murphy responded by questioning Schlossberg's motives, given he never knew his uncle.
Naomi Watts's portrayal of Jackie Kennedy Onassis has divided viewers, with some critics calling it 'unsettling' and 'truly terrible', while others praised it as 'outstanding'. New episodes of Love Story will be released weekly on Thursdays through 26 March.
