Ryan Murphy‘s Love Story has caused a variety of strong reactions — but why has there been so much backlash surrounding the show about John F. Kennedy Jr.?
Before Love Story even premiered on FX in February 2026, Murphy was criticized by the Kennedys for his plans to dramatize Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and JFK Jr.‘s story after their deaths in a 1999 plane crash. Kennedy Jr.’s nephew Jack Schlossberg accused Murphy in June 2025 of “grotesque[ly]” profiting off his late uncle’s death.
“Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man,” Schlossberg wrote via Instagram at the time. “For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with the new shows being made about him, the answer is no. And there’s really not much we can do.”
Schlossberg continued: “For that matter, [JFK Jr. is] considered a public figure, so there’s not much we can do. I hope those making these shows about him take seriously what he stood for in his life, all that he achieved in it. And that they donate some of the profits [that] they’re making.”
How the ‘Love Story’ Cast Compares to Real Members of the Kennedy Family
In response, Murphy called out the “inflammatory” criticism and how it came before the show was released.
“I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don’t remember,” Murphy said on Gavin Newsom’s “This Is Gavin Newsom” podcast one month later. “The days of civil discourse are over, and it’s very hard. And you kind of either get into the muck or you try and rise above it.”
The public backlash continued once Love Story started airing with Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette, and Paul Anthony Kelly portraying JFK Jr. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the drama:
What Is ‘Love Story’ About?
The FX series is the first installment in Ryan Murphy’s Love Story anthology and is inspired by Elizabeth Beller’s book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Sarah Pidgeon plays Carolyn Bessette, while Paul Anthony Kelly portrays JFK Jr.
After meeting in 1992, Bessette and JFK Jr. were on and off for years before getting married. Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight, with highs and lows making headlines. They both died in a plane crash in 1999.
“We had Elizabeth Beller’s book for reference, but we did face challenges [capturing certain moments]. They died so young, but we had enough information from people around them to know what the problems were in their marriage, what the tensions were, what the highs were, what the lows were,” executive producer Brad Simpson exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2026. “People don’t have an idea of what her voice was like because we only have a tiny clip of her voice, but they have a very distinct idea of what her image was like. So we had to get the walk down and the look and the allure. But Sarah could really interpret and go with it. John, we have a lot of recordings of him, and we have a lot more on him.”
What Is Ryan Murphy’s History With Adapting Real-Life Stories?
Ryan Murphy found success adapting true crime stories and high-profile events, which often resulted in backlash from the subjects of his shows. After getting his start with Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story, Murphy expanded by taking on projects such as American Crime Story, which chronicled the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, the killing of designer Gianni Versace and the sex scandal involving former President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
Murphy also created the American Sports Story spinoff, which focused on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez in its first season.
Has Ryan Murphy Received Backlash for His Scripted Shows?
Ryan Murphy’s most controversial spinoff has been the Monster anthology series. In 2022, the limited series centered on Evan Peters’ portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer, which received backlash from the families of the serial killer’s victims.
Season 2 faced similar backlash after Erik Menendez slammed Murphy’s portrayal of him and brother Lyle Menendez.
FX’s Love Story has also been called out for dramatizing events in JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s lives before their tragic death.
Kennedy Family Tragedies: Most Shocking Deaths and Curse Rumors Explained
What Has Been Said About Ryan Murphy’s Love Story?
Kennedy Jr.’s nephew Jack Schlossberg slammed the show when it came out.
“If you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,” Schlossberg said on CBS Sunday Morning in February 2026. “The guy knows nothing about what he’s talking about, and he’s making a ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else’s life.”
Meanwhile Daryl Hannah, who is played by Dree Hemingway on the show, broke her silence on how she was portrayed. Hannah, who dated JFK Jr. in the ‘80s called the show not “remotely accurate” in its “representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John.” She also wanted to clarify the “actions and behaviors attributed” to her, which she called “untrue.”
“I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial,” she continued. “I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s. It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.”
What Have the Executive Producers Said?
Executive producer Brad Simpson told Us in February 2026 that they hadn’t heard from any of the real people featured on screen, adding, “We haven’t yet, and we hope that people appreciate their portrayals. Every actor approached [their role] with love.”
He added: “You reach out to one person, and then it becomes, ‘Why are you not reaching out to every person?’ We love these characters. We did deep, deep research. It’s based on not just the Elizabeth Beller book but many other artifacts from that time and many other historie.We came from a place of love, but if you foreground one person’s personal story and their version of the truth, then you have to foreground everybody’s, and often they’re in conflict. On all our shows we tried to be true to what we think the characters were and show you what it was like to walk in their footsteps.”
