Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette – true story of tragic romance

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Ryan Murphy’s new drama, Love Story, is based on the actual relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Sarah Pidgeon, known from The Wilds, and Paul Kelly star as the couple.

The new series will begin streaming on Disney Plus in the UK on Friday, February 13th, 2026. While the timing seems connected to Valentine’s Day, the story is quite sad, so it might not be the most cheerful choice for that day.

Based on recent biographical information, the series will tell the story of how John F. Kennedy Jr., a popular and eligible bachelor at the time, met Carolyn Bessette, who was a relatively unknown publicist without a privileged background.

Their initially perfect relationship quickly became difficult, largely due to constant media attention – a situation similar to what other famous couples have experienced lately.

The new FX and Disney Plus original, Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette, explores their complex relationship – from conflicting media accounts to its heartbreaking conclusion – and you can find more information about it below.

Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette true story explained

Love Story tells the heartbreaking romance between John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the late president, and Carolyn Bessette, a rising fashion publicist who gained prominence working at Calvin Klein.

The show is largely based on Elizabeth Beller’s biography of Bessette, called Once Upon a Time. This book offered a more understanding and positive portrayal of Bessette’s life compared to how she was previously depicted in the media.

In 1994, when Daryl Bessette began dating John F. Kennedy Jr., she quickly went from being a private person to a celebrity constantly followed by the media and photographers.

Most people agree that Bessette struggled with her sudden fame – and it’s easy to understand why. Losing your privacy is difficult for anyone, but she experienced it in a particularly intense way.

The main point of contention lies in how this affected Bessette personally, and her relationship with Kennedy.

The couple eloped in 1996, choosing Cumberland Island, Georgia, for a private wedding ceremony.

Possibly frustrated by the private wedding, the couple immediately faced intense media attention. As soon as they returned home, they were surrounded by reporters and photographers.

Despite Kennedy’s requests for privacy, especially to protect Bessette—who wasn’t accustomed to public attention like he was—the constant harassment continued.

In his 2004 book, The Kennedy Curse, Edward Klein controversially claimed that Carolyn Bessette’s erratic behavior stemmed from the stress of constant public scrutiny (according to Vanity Fair).

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According to Klein, Bessette developed a cocaine addiction. He says a source overheard John Kennedy yelling at her, calling her a “cokehead” during a fight in public. He also claims another source witnessed her with visible signs of drug use – specifically, white marks around her nose – after repeatedly going to the bathroom.

However, Beller’s book, Once Upon a Time, presents a different perspective, challenging the harshest claims and portraying the couple in a more sympathetic light. The book even includes a quote from Kennedy Jr.’s mentor, George Plimpton, who described them as “soul mates.”

That said, the book does concede that their marriage had its issues.

Both accounts share a common source of tension: how the media portrayed the situation. However, Beller also suggests that Kennedy contributed to the stress by becoming preoccupied with a failing business deal.

I remember when George magazine first came out – Kennedy co-founded it with Michael J. Berman back in ’95, and it seemed like it was going to be a really big deal! But unfortunately, things started to fall apart pretty quickly, and I heard the founders had a falling out, which really hurt the magazine’s chances.

These two problems were closely connected. Kennedy’s demanding job added to Bessette’s isolation, and she felt like a prisoner in her own home due to the constant presence of reporters and photographers outside.

The book acknowledges that John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette went to couples’ therapy towards the end of their relationship, but it suggests reports of abuse or an impending divorce were likely untrue.

Whichever the case, theirs was a story that ended in tragedy.

In 1998, Kennedy earned his pilot’s license. The next year, he intended to fly his small six-person plane from New Jersey to Massachusetts to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy’s wedding in Hyannis Port.

Besides John F. Kennedy Jr., the plane was carrying his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister, Lauren, who was flying them to Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island where she had other commitments. Sadly, none of them made it to their planned destination.

I have to tell you, learning about the crash of Flight 800 back on July 16th, 1999, was truly haunting. The plane went down off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, and the National Transportation Safety Board here in the US took on the incredibly difficult task of figuring out what went wrong.

After reviewing all the evidence, I’ve come to the conclusion that the crash was likely due to pilot error. It seems Kennedy became disoriented, and honestly, it’s easy to see why. The report highlights how incredibly dark it was that night, combined with hazy conditions, making it nearly impossible to get a clear sense of his surroundings. It wasn’t a mechanical failure, but a tragic loss of situational awareness in terrible weather.

A week after the tragedy, a public memorial service for Kennedy and Bessette was held at St. Thomas More Church in New York City. President Bill Clinton was among those who attended.

The documentary ‘Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette’ will begin streaming on Disney Plus on February 13th, 2026.

Want to know what to watch? Add “Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette” to your watchlist on the TopMob app! Download it now for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV and streaming dramas and comedies for TopMob. Before that, he contributed to Starburst Magazine, hosted the Winter King Podcast on ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-02-13 11:35