John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, arrive for Municipal Art Society Gala. (Photo by Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Nearly three decades after her death at age 33, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy is back in the spotlight as one of fashion’s most powerful style influencers. The new TV series "Love Story" chronicles her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr.
The show's first installment anthology is inspired by Elizabeth Beller’s book, "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy."
The show has renewed interest in the private life of Carolyn.
Who was Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy?
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According to Biography, Carolyn Jeanne Bessette was born on January 7, 1966, in White Plains, New York. She was the daughter of William J. Bessette, an architectural engineer, and Ann Messina, a teacher and public school administrator.
She spent her early childhood in White Plains alongside her older sisters, identical twins Lisa and Lauren, until her parents divorced when she was eight. Following the divorce, her mother married Richard Freeman, a well-known orthopedic surgeon, and the family moved to the affluent community of Greenwich, Connecticut.
RELATED: Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter, dies at 35 after battle with cancer
Carolyn was a fashion publicist who gained national attention in 1996 following her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr.
Although she earned a degree in elementary education, she built a career in public relations at Calvin Klein, where she met Kennedy at the brand’s New York store.
Admired for her refined, minimalist style, she became widely regarded as a fashion icon and influential trendsetter.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. marriage
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John F. Kennedy Jr. proposed to Carolyn Bessette during a boat ride on Martha’s Vineyard on July 4, 1995. She reportedly took three weeks to accept
In February 1996, the couple had a public argument in Washington Square Park, during which Kennedy was seen trying to remove her engagement ring.
Despite the tension, they married in September 1996 in a small, secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia. Only about 40 close friends and family members attended, and most did not know the exact location in advance.
After the wedding, media attention only increased. The pressure affected their marriage. Although both wanted children, Carolyn was uneasy about raising them under constant public scrutiny. By 1999, they were reportedly living apart.
Crying woman among mourners paying respects at floral shrine outside loft bldg. where John F. Kennedy Jr. & wife Carolyn lived in public outpouring of grief after their death in plane crash along w. her sister Lauren Bessette. (Photo by Al …
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. plane crash
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The couple died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, along with Carolyn's sister, Lauren Bessette.
Kennedy was piloting a single-engine Piper Saratoga that had departed New Jersey's Essex County Airport en route to Martha's Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts.
The crash occurred in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 7.5 miles west of Martha's Vineyard.
After scouring the ocean floor for about 18 hours, the recovery team discovered Kennedy's body in the cockpit.
The National Transportation Safety Board later concluded that Kennedy became disoriented while approaching Martha’s Vineyard.
In its 28-page final report, released the following July, the NTSB determined that the probable cause of the July 16, 1999 crash was the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a descent over water at night, due to spatial disorientation.
According to reporting by the Cape Cod Times, investigators found that contributing factors in the crash included haze and dark nighttime conditions. The report also noted that John F. Kennedy Jr. was not certified to fly using instruments alone and had limited solo nighttime flying experience.
Authorities found no evidence of mechanical failure, in-flight breakup, or fire.
What they're saying:
Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s nephew, spoke out against the series last year, saying it was profiting off his family "in a grotesque way" accusing executive producer Ryan Murphy of "making millions" off Kennedy’s legacy. Murphy retaliated on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, saying it was an "odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don’t remember." Schlossberg, now running for Congress in New York, took to social media to share memories of his uncle.
What's next:
And it’s not the only show about the Kennedy family coming soon: Netflix has announced its making "Kennedy," a series focused on the political dynasty’s origins and based on Fredrik Logevall’s "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956." Michael Fassbender will play Joe Kennedy Sr., the family patriarch.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story is drawn from established biographical sources, including Biography, reporting from the Cape Cod Times on the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, and details outlined in Elizabeth Beller’s book "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," which inspired the TV series "Love Story." This story was reported from Los Angeles.