Love between political genius John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, take center stage in the FX drama series that sheds new light on “the undeniable chemistry, whirlwind romance, and high-profile marriage of one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century.”
Created by the famous showrunner Ryan Murphy, the FX series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, will draw the relationship of the late two from their first days in New York City, where they met in 1992 while he was working as a lawyer and holding a job as a spokesperson for the fashion label Calvin Klein.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette. Photo: Getty
Photos of the show’s stars—Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly—reveal that much of the service was shot in the same location where the couple was photographed regularly and where they lived together until 1999, when they died in a horrific plane crash on their way to Martha’s Vineyard.
The series features exterior shots of the actual Manhattan building where Kennedy purchased the property that would become their first—and only—marital home.
Anyone who has seen the numerous paparazzi photos taken of the couple will no doubt immediately recognize the exterior of the building, which is often seen in the background of photos taken while entering and exiting the property.
The intense turmoil surrounding Kennedy and Bessette looks set to play a major role in the FX drama, with a preview showing the brutality of the media’s interest in their romance.
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Love between political genius John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, are taking the lead in the new FX drama series. Photo: NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
At first, the couple’s love blossomed like any other New York City relationship between two young professionals, according to Elizabeth Beller, author of “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy,” on which the FX show is based.
“The early years were not unusual for two people who met in New York City and juggling jobs. Carolyn was only 26 when she was at Calvin Klein. She had a real community of friends and was busy with work,” Beller previously revealed to Entertainment Tonight.
“[Carolyn] he was one of these people, especially, you know, new to New York City, who really liked to take advantage of New York.”
However, it would be two years before the couple committed to a relationship – and with it, came speculation and public interest, something Bessette is understood to have found very difficult to deal with.
Although JFK Jr.—the son of former President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Bouvier—had long been used to living his life in front of the public, interest in his love affair with Carolyn grew rapidly, pushing the couple into the spotlight, and often unwelcome.
Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly play the roles of Bessette and Kennedy in the show. Image: FX
“That life he had before, he had a real sense of freedom. He liked to go out and travel. He really liked to be around his friends,” Beller explained.
“He was a great caretaker and so I think that the fact that the media started waiting for him outside, just killed his happiness. He saw fame as a thief of happiness, especially when he really entered, and there was no way to know that they would be under a lot of pressure from the paparazzi.”
Indeed, FX’s teaser clips showed her crumbling under the pressure of the constant attention, telling the political heir that she wasn’t sure she was “cut out to be Mrs. JFK Jr.”
“Everything in my life has changed,” Pidgeon lamented to Kelly, before later falling to the ground in tears, shouting: “They won’t leave us alone.”
JFK Jr. and Bessette spent their entire marriage living in a Tribeca apartment that a Kennedy heir bought for $700,000 in 1994, the same year he proposed. Photo: Getty
Despite Bessette’s concerns about what her future as a member of the political dynasty might entail, she tied the knot with Kennedy—even going to great lengths to ensure that their marriage remained as secret as possible.
To prevent any unwanted visitors and paparazzi, the couple held their wedding ceremony in a small church on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, a glamorous location for a high-class couple, many of whom thought they would marry in New York or the Kennedy family’s famed Hyannis Port compound.
Only 40 people attended the ceremony, which was held at the First African Baptist Church on September 21, 1996, four years after Kennedy and Bessette met. Among those guests were several members of the Kennedy family, including his sister, Caroline Kennedy, and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, and their three children, all of whom played a role in the event.
At Bessette’s side, her mother, Ann Messina Freeman, was there with the broadcaster’s sister, Lisa Ann Bessette.
“Visitors had to present an Indian nickel when they arrived on the island or be immediately deported,” attendee Carol Radziwill recalled to the Daily Mail in 2019.
However, by the time the couple returned from their wedding and honeymoon, the news of their marriage had broken—and they returned to their New York City apartment, located in the Tribeca neighborhood, swarming with paparazzi.
“This is a big change for anybody,” Kennedy told waiting members of the press. “It’s a private citizen, even more so. I’m just asking [for] whatever privacy or room you could give him as he made that change. It would be greatly appreciated.”
However, that did nothing to dampen the excitement that continued to grip the couple—attention that reportedly made Bessette more hesitant than ever to even leave their shared home, which Kennedy bought for $983,000 AUD (US$700,000) in 1994.
The couple was photographed walking around the building. Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
In contrast to their public splendor, the home—and the life they lived in—was reportedly bare, offering just two bedrooms and an industrial aesthetic, which is said to have inspired Kennedy’s nickname for the residence: “The Home Depot.”
While the couple lived in a luxury apartment their entire marriage, reports surfaced after their deaths on July 16, 1999, that they were looking to move out of town—the New York Post says Kennedy and Bssette had already found a place in Connecticut, not far from where they grew up.
According to the source, the house in question, located in New Canaan, had been under construction for several months before Bessette and Kennedy died, and was designed to give the two their own Camelot, away from the prying eyes of the city.
“The spread has lots of rooms, a large lot, a tennis court, a swimming pool. It’s also in New Canaan, a small town where Carolyn Bessette Kennedy spent part of her childhood and where her sister Lisa Ann lives,” the report said.
“Real estate agents put the price up to USD$3 million.”
While it’s unclear if the home the couple built was ever completed, photos show a large — and gorgeous — residence now resides at the address, which last changed hands for $12.6 million (US$9 million) in 2007.
The couple’s New York City home was quietly traded in 2000, when it was bought by actor Ed Burns, who still owns the unit today, according to records.
Written by Charlie Lankston
This article was originally published on realtor.com
