There’s no doubt that Ryan Murphy has made a name for himself when it comes to retelling the most infamous cultural moments in history for the small screen.
From Gianni Versace’s murder to the People v. O.J. Simpson—as well as the tale of Monica Lewkinsky and Bill Clinton in Impeachment: American Crime Story—the Hollywood producer is tapping into yet another one of history’s most notable events for his next series.
Enter: American Love Story.
On par with his other series’, American Horror Story and American Crime Story, Murphy’s latest venture will follow one of the most famous love stories of all time: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Switching gears from horror and crime to romance, the series will explore the “sweeping true love stories that captured the world’s attention”, according to the press release, with the first season of the anthology show focusing on the tragic romance between the American political couple.
Considered as America’s golden couple, American Love Story looks to chart the course of their relationship, from courtship to the heartbreaking summer of 1999.
Below, everything we know about Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story—from the plot to the cast and everything in between.
What Will Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story Be About?
American Love Story aims to follow “sweeping true love stories that captured the world’s attention”, starting off by “depicting the whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”
The series aims to showcase their entire relationship timeline, starting with their whirlwind courtship, documenting the immense pressures brought on by crushing tabloid attention, and ending with the tragic plane crash the shook the world in 1999.
“What started out as a beautiful union for the young couple, widely regarded as American royalty, began to fray under the stress of the relentless microscope and navel-gaze of tabloid media,” the release reads. “The pressures of their careers and rumoured family discord ended with their tragic deaths when his private plane crashed into the ocean on a hazy summer night off the coast of Massachusetts.”
What Is The True Story Behind John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette?
There’s no denying that JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were monumental to the street style scene, thanks to Carolyn’s timeless personal style. However, some may not know the depths of their relationship, and why the world was transfixed by their love and their loss.
The son of former US President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, John Jr. was raised in the media spotlight, whether he liked it or not, which saw him become one of the country’s most eligible bachelors and dubbed as the ‘prince’ of the United States. Throughout his single years, he notably dated Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna and Daryl Hannah throughout the ’80s and ’90s. However, it wasn’t until Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, that he met his match.
As for how the pair met, there are conflicting reports on the details of their meeting. Some say they crossed paths while jogging in Central Park back in 1990, while others claim they met at a society event in 1994. Either way, back in 2014, the couple’s friend, Gustavo Paredes, told People that they met at the Calvin Klein showroom in 1994, where John asked Carolyn on a date but she turned him down, many times.
“She didn’t think he was serious. He couldn’t believe she turned him down. It had never happened before,” he told the publication.
“[He] kept figuring out a way to keep coming back to the showroom for more business meetings and more fittings.”
Once their relationship took off, and tabloids crowned them as the It-couple of the decade, seeing Carolyn became one of America’s most talked-about women.
“Carolyn wasn’t John’s shadow; she was his equal,” RoseMarie Terenzio, John’s former chief-of-staff at George magazine, recalled in her book Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss.
In 1995, John proposed to Carolyn at Martha’s Vineyard over the Fourth of July weekend, with a sapphire and diamond ring, that was said to be based on a similar ring that his mother once owned.
Managing to keep their 1996 wedding a secret from the press, the pair got hitched on September 21, in a church on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. But their wedded bliss was only set to last a few years, after their lives were cut tragically short on the night of July 16, 1999, while they were flying to Martha’s Vineyard with Carolyn’s sister, Lauren Bessette.
As the pilot of the single-engine aircraft, John flew himself, his wife and sister-in-law from New Jersey at 8:38pm, however, he lost control of the plane over the Atlantic Ocean roughly an hour later. Tragically, all three passengers died in the crash.
Stunning the world, the Kennedy and Bessette families shared their grief in a joint statement.
“John and Carolyn were true soul mates,” their statement read as per The Washington Post, adding they took “solace in the thought that together they will comfort Lauren for eternity.”
Who Will Be Starring In Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story?
As for who is involved in the first instalment of the anthology series, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Alexis Martin Woodall have all signed on as executive producers for the project.
However, we are yet to find out any potential cast members who will take on the role as JFK Jr. and Bessette.
Keep an eye out for future updates on American Love Story here.
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