Love Story (2026 TV series)

John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Main • Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, publicist at fashion house Calvin Klein • Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr., son of late John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States • Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, John Jr.'s older sister • Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady of the United States and John Jr.'s mother Recurring • Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein, Carolyn's boss • Leila George as Kelly Klein, Calvin's wife and Carolyn's friend • Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette, Carolyn's older sister • Ben Shenkman as Edwin Schlossberg, John's brother-in-law • Erich Bergen as Anthony Radziwiłł, John's cousin and close friend • Tonatiuh as Narciso Rodriguez, a stylist and Carolyn's friend • Noah Fearnley as Michael Bergin, a model and Carolyn's boyfriend prior to meeting John • Omari K. Chancellor as Gordon Henderson, a stylist and Carolyn's friend • Aida Leventaki as Jane, Calvin Klein's secretary • Michael Nathanson as Michael Berman John's girlfriend prior to meeting Carolyn • Adam Grupper as Maurice Tempelsman, Jackie's companion and caretaker • Donal Logue as Ted Kennedy, John's uncle • Constance Zimmer as Ann Messina Freeman, Carolyn's mother • Jessica Harper as Ethel Kennedy, John's aunt • Grey Henson as Tommy, John's friend • Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Colin, John's friend ==Episodes==

Development On August 13, 2021, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off series American Love Story. The first season would cover the "whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," In June 2025, Jack Schlossberg, nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., criticized the series for not consulting the Kennedy family during development and accused the production of "profiting off" his uncle's life "in a grotesque way." He urged the show's creators to donate part of its proceeds to the John F. Kennedy Library. Murphy later stated he intended to make a donation. In July 2025, Murphy remarked that it was an "odd choice to be mad about your relative that you don't remember," prompting Schlossberg to share personal memories of his uncle on Instagram and reiterate his criticism that the project was exploiting his family's history for profit. Casting In March 2025, it was reported that Sarah Pidgeon would be playing Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. many exterior shots were filmed around there, including in the historic 53–55 Beach Street, and throughout Tribeca and Soho. The scenes at Cape Cod were shot in Bellport, Long Island. == Release ==

Love Story premiered on FX and FX on Hulu on February 12, 2026. Internationally, the series was made available to stream on Disney+. == Reception ==

Viewership John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette accumulated more than 25 million hours of viewing across Hulu and Disney+ for its first five episodes. FX announced that this represented the highest streaming total for a limited series in the network's history and made it its most-watched limited series on both platforms. Viewership for the fifth episode was reported to be 51% higher than that of the premiere. The series also prompted increased activity on TikTok following its release. Searches for John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy reportedly increased by more than 9,100% in the month after the premiere, while the hashtag #lovestory generated more than 21 million posts globally. John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette subsequently surpassed 65 million hours streamed across Hulu and Disney+. Its season finale achieved a series high on both platforms, with viewership increasing by nearly 20% from the preceding episode and approximately 90% above the premiere after its first day of availability. Critical response On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette has an approval rating of 81% based on 48 critics' reviews. The website's consensus reads: "Ryan Murphy's Love Story finds a winning pair in Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon as they embody the tragic, lovely, and shining aspects of John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette in a mindful yet entertaining new series." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable". Sarah Pidgeon received praise for her performance as Bessette-Kennedy, with Nicholas Quah of Vulture writing, "Carolyn is the closest thing the show has to a genuinely inhabited character: quick and curious, existentially adrift but committed to selfhood, carrying an undercurrent of anxiety about the world she's entered that the script only intermittently knows what to do with." Critics compared the series to The Crown, with Judy Berman of Time writing both shows depict the "ultimate gilded cage—what perpetual scrutiny does to a family compelled to prioritize appearances over relationships, tradition over love". == See also ==