Ryan Murphy’s latest series recreates one of the most scrutinized romances in American history.
‘Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’ premiered February 12, 2026 on FX and Hulu, dramatizing the relationship between America’s most eligible bachelor and the Calvin Klein publicist whose private love became a national obsession. The limited series stars Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr., selected from over 1,000 actors who auditioned for each role.
The series opens with a haunting prologue: July 16, 1999, when John piloted his Piper Saratoga carrying Carolyn and her sister Lauren to a Kennedy family wedding at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The plane crashed off Martha’s Vineyard, killing all three passengers.
Fast Facts:
- Premiere Date: February 12, 2026 (Valentine’s week)
- Network: FX and Hulu
- Producer: Ryan Murphy
- Source Material: Elizabeth Beller’s book “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy”
- Lead Actors: Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly
- Auditions: Over 1,000 actors per role
The narrative jumps back to 1992 when the couple first met at a Calvin Klein event. Bessette was rising through the fashion house ranks, transitioning from sales assistant to trusted confidante of designer Calvin Klein himself. Kennedy proposed in July 1995 on a fishing boat in Martha’s Vineyard, telling Carolyn, “I want you to be my partner”—though she waited three weeks before accepting.
They married September 21, 1996 on Cumberland Island, Georgia, accessible only by boat, in an effort to maintain privacy. Their first dance was to Prince’s “Forever in My Life”.
Why It Matters
This marks the first installment in Ryan Murphy’s new ‘Love Story’ anthology series, tackling one of the 20th century’s most iconic couples. Director Connor Hines revealed his research uncovered “two people who were very much in love, but were plagued with just impossible obstacles that would nearly break anybody”. With intense media scrutiny tearing them apart publicly while they attended marriage counseling privately, the series explores how fame destroyed a relationship that might have otherwise endured.
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