With the recent release of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette, fascination with one of the 1990s’ most iconic couples has returned. Ryan Murphy’s series for FX dramatizes the real-life relationship between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, bringing their allure to a new audience. Nearly three decades after their deaths in a 1999 plane crash, the show has not only revisited their story, but reignited a full blown cultural obsession.
Carolynn Bessette was one of the biggest fashion icons of the 90s. Paparazzi followed her every move, and fans were captivated by her effortless style. Sleek slip dresses, simple basics, and subtle accessories became her signature look. Her time working at Calvin Klein helped shape the brand’s aesthetic and solidified her influence in the world of fashion. In many ways, she started the “quiet luxury” trend that dominates today, making her style feel as current now as it did then.
Today, Bessette’s look is making a comeback. On social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, people are attempting to recreate her outfits, often hunting down the exact pieces she wore, like her iconic oval sunglasses and tortoise shell headbands. And the obsession isn’t just online.
In New York City, fans recently organized a JFK Jr. lookalike contest. In the spirit of boots on the ground journalism, I attended the event in Washington Square Park. Everywhere you looked, there was a different version of JFK Jr., some in suits and sunglasses, others in backwards baseball caps and rollerblades. What stood out most wasn’t how much the contestants resembled him (they didn’t really), but the energy of the crowd. People were taking photos, laughing, and treating the entire event like a shared inside joke. I also visited C.O. Bigelow, the historic apothecary where Carolyn used to buy her famous headbands. The store was packed, and everyone seemed determined to grab the same accessories she once owned. Employees said it had never been this busy before.Despite the popularity of the show, some people connected to the real story have strongly criticized it. Actress Daryl Hannah, who dated Kennedy in the early 90s, published an essay in The New York Times condemning the show’s portrayal of her. She argued that it inaccurately depicts her behavior and uses real people as dramatic devices. Members of the Kennedy family have also spoken out. Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s nephew, urged viewers to remember that the story is heavily fictionalized. “I would just want people who do watch the show to watch it with one letter in mind, and that’s a capital ‘F’ for fiction,” he said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. These reactions raise a larger question about the ethics of adapting real lives for entertainment. At what point does storytelling cross into exploitation? Ultimately, the renewed fascination with John and Carolyn shows just how powerful media can be, and how quickly it can blur the line between history and fiction.