Latest news with #AmericanLoveStory
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kennedy fans have mixed reaction to latest images of Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette for new movie
There is a new movie coming out about the Kennedys. American Love Story will follow JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's whirlwind romance as they became a power couple then tabloid fodder. The couple tragically passed away in a plane crash in 1999 when she was 33 and he was 38 but there is still massive intrigue about the two. Sarah Pidgeon, 29, is playing Carolyn in the new project. On Tuesday a new look at Sarah as Carolyn was shared with mixed reviews on if she nailed the look. Some fans on Reddit said she was 'spot on with those big eyes' while others felt her hair was not 'blonde enough' to play the glam queen of New York. Many wondered if Sarah was wearing a wig or if she dyed her hair blonde. The movie premieres in February 2026 Pidgeon was seen filming on the street in New York City. The star wore a black turtleneck with slacks and a black purse over her shoulder. Her long blonde hair was worn down in a casual style as she had on brown eye makeup and red lipstick on. Her bails were short as she did not appear to have her wedding rings on. The star was coming out of the subway exit in the midtown area of Manhattan. Carolyn was a fashion publicist who worked for Calvin Klein until her 1996 marriage to JFK Jr. The couple, along with her older sister Lauren, died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in 1999. Bessette was born in White Plains, New York and had two older sisters, twins Lauren and Lisa. The star with the French background attended Boston University's School of Education, graduating in 1988 with a degree in elementary education. Bessette briefly attempted a modeling career, but it did not pan out. On Tuesday a new look at Sarah as Carolyn was shared with mixed reviews on if she nailed the look During her career at Calvin Klein, she went from being a saleswoman to becoming the director of publicity for the company's flagship store in Manhattan. Then she worked with Klein's high-profile clients like Annette Bening and Diane Sawyer. Bessette first met Kennedy in 1992, while he was dating actress Daryl Hannah. Bessette and Kennedy began dating in 1994, she then moved into Kennedy's Tribeca loft in the summer of 1995, and the couple became engaged later that year. Kennedy and Bessette wed on September 21, 1996 on the remote Georgia island of Cumberland. The couple honeymooned in Turkey. She got a ton of media attention and there were comparisons to her mother-in-law, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Her long blonde hair was worn down in a casual style as she had on brown eye makeup and red lipstick on. Her bails were short as she did not appear to have her wedding rings on. The star was coming out of the subway exit in the midtown area of Manhattan There was talk the Kennedys were experiencing marital problems and contemplating divorce in the months preceding their deaths. In his book, The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years, Klein claimed that the couple's problems reportedly stemmed from Bessette-Kennedy's difficulty dealing with the media attention. Bessette-Kennedy died on July 16, 1999, along with her husband and older sister Lauren, when the light plane John Jr. was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Martha's Vineyard. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the crash was: 'The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were haze and the dark night.' After a five-day search, the wreckage was discovered in the late afternoon of July 21. The bodies were recovered from the ocean floor by Navy divers and taken by motorcade to the county medical examiner's office, where autopsies revealed that the crash victims had died upon impact. All tested negative for alcohol and drugs. The new movie has several other Kennedy characters in it. Jackie O - also known as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis - is being portrayed by Naomi Watts, 56. Onassis was a writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. Jackie died in 1994 at the age of 64 in New York City. Blonde actress Watts sported a brown wig as she transformed into Jackie. Watts was filming a scene in a park on Monday afternoon in New York City. Also in the movie is Paul Kelly, who will play Jackie's son John F. Kennedy Jr. Grace Gummer, who is playing Jackie's daughter Caroline Kennedy, was also seen playing in the park with two little girls that are playing Caroline's daughters Rose and Tatiana. JFK Jr's ex-girlfriend Daryl Hannah is being played by Dree Hemingway, 37, whose mother is actress Mariel Hemingway. She gained attention playing the lead in director Sean Baker's feature Starlet. Dree has since become known for her high-profile fashion campaigns and her extensive work in independent film.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Guess who is playing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis now… after Natalie Portman and Katie Holmes did it first
Jackie O - also known as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis - is being portrayed once again for a new movie. The former First Lady of the United States has been played in the past by many A-list Hollywood actresses. They include Natalie Portman in the 2016 film Jackie, Katie Holmes in the 2011 mini-series The Kennedys, and Minka Kelly in the 2013 film The Butler. Other actresses who have played Jackie Kennedy include Jaclyn Smith, Roma Downey, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Ginnifer Goodwin. Now an Australian star is taking on the role. A first photo of her appeared this week. Can you guess who it is? The actress is 56-year-old Naomi Watts. She is playing the late New Yorker in the Ryan Murphy project American Love Story, which premieres in February 2026. Onassis was a writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. Jackie died in 1994 at the age of 64 in New York City. Blonde actress Watts sported a brown wig as she transformed into Jackie. Watts was filming a scene in a park on Monday afternoon in New York City. Also in the movie is Paul Kelly, who will play Jackie's son John F. Kennedy Jr. Grace Gummer, who is playing Jackie's daughter Caroline Kennedy, was also seen playing in the park with two little girls that are playing Caroline's daughters Rose and Tatiana. American Love Story will follow JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's whirlwind romance. The couple passed away in a plane crash in 1999 when she was 33 and he was 38. Sarah Pidgeon, 29, is playing Carolyn. JFK Jr's ex-girlfriend Daryl Hannah is being played by Dree Hemingway, 37, whose mother is actress Mariel Hemingway. She gained attention playing the lead in director Sean Baker's feature Starlet. She has since become known for her high-profile fashion campaigns and her extensive work in independent film. This comes after Watts said she wants women to 'not fear and dread menopause'. The actress has launched a new campaign - which focuses on menopause solutions - for her wellness brand Stripes Beauty, and Naomi wants to remind women to 'hold [their] heads high' regardless of their age. The movie star told People: 'Our minds, our experience, our sense of self, all of these things cumulatively add up to a bolder, wiser version of yourself, which makes you hotter than ever. 'And there's a play on words of course, because yes, we are fanning ourselves as we go into hot flashes. But it's also a time we should feel good about ourselves, hold our heads high and not fear and dread menopause like we have been taught by society and previous generations.' Despite this, Naomi admits that her outlook hasn't always been so optimistic. The actress said: 'I went into menopause or perimenopause super early and felt a lot of shame and no real sense of ways to communicate, not with my friends, my mother or even doctors. 'Women in this stage - perimenopause and beyond - have often felt left out. When our hormones stop functioning the way they used to, it's like we become redundant, expected to disappear. There's just a whole lot of negative messaging, which feels so out of date now. And as we know, we're more than our fertility. We are not invisible.' Earlier this year, Naomi claimed that embracing ageing has actually helped her to become more successful in Hollywood. The film star told Good Housekeeping magazine: 'I think the longer the life, the deeper it gets, and the roles tend to reflect that in terms of storytelling and playing all these dynamic women.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Murphy Addresses Backlash Over JFK Jr.-Based ‘American Love Story': ‘An Odd, Dark Moment for Me'
Ryan Murphy said he was completely unprepared and shocked by the backlash he received over his 'American Love Story' adaptation of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's relationship. 'That was an odd, dark moment for me where I've never … I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don't remember,' Murphy explained to California Gov. Gavin Newsom during an appearance on the politician's 'This is Gavin Newsom' podcast Monday, referring Kennedy's nephew Jack Schlossberg speaking out in criticism of the upcoming series back in June. More from TheWrap Ryan Murphy Addresses Backlash Over JFK Jr.-Based 'American Love Story': 'An Odd, Dark Moment for Me' | Video Fox Closes 2025 Upfront With Double-Digit Volume Growth Across News, Sports, Entertainment 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 10 Scores Best Finale Ratings in 3 Years | Exclusive Jim Parsons Slams Trump for Cutting LGBTQ+ Crisis Hotline: 'I Think It's Quite Literally Criminal' 'There've been over 88 things, movies and television shows about the Kennedys. Not one has ever been authorized by the family. I never even thought they wanted to do that. So, ours is based on a book that's very sympathetic to both people,' Murphy continued, adding that the series isn't a 'takedown' but rather a 'love story.' 'It's about youth taken too soon and idealism, things that we need more in politics,' Murphy went on. 'I was not prepared for what was sort of the Kennedy firestorm.' On June 19, Schlossberg took to social media to air out his disappointment with Murphy's latest project, which is centered on his uncle and aunt's relationship and stars Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. 'Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man,' Schlossberg said in the since deleted Instagram story, adding that his family 'was never consulted' about the project. 'For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with the new show being made about him, the answer is no, and there's really not much we can do.' While Murphy, who has long taken heat for his TV depictions of real-life figures and events, said he was astonished by Schlossberg's early review, he tries to find room for all commentary whether good or bad. 'I try to have some humility about it,' Murphy said. 'The days of civil discourse are over. It's very hard, and you either get into the muck or you try and rise above it. I found that hard to do, but I did it. And I just have a better attitude about it, I think, than I did before I started. I'm thankful for the criticism, because if you're smart, you listen to critical voices and you say, 'Okay, great.' And we fixed it. We rolled up our sleeves and we listened to people and corrected it.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Murphy Productions (@ryanmurphyproductions) Murphy's 'American Love Story' has set a February 2026 release date. You can watch the full interview in the video above. The post Ryan Murphy Addresses Backlash Over JFK Jr.-Based 'American Love Story': 'An Odd, Dark Moment for Me' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Cosmopolitan
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Sarah Pidgeon Responds to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Criticism
Sarah Pidgeon knows the internet has opinions on her portrayal of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s wife—beloved fashion icon and all-around it-girl Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy—in American Love Story, and she's finally breaking her silence. The rising star responded to the criticism during the I Know What You Did Last Summer premiere on July 14. 'I know how special Carolyn is to me and I understand how widely beloved she is, so this role comes with a lot of responsibility—and I'm not surprised that people have strong opinions about it,' she told Variety on the red carpet. She added, 'That's what makes her such an interesting person. I mean, not only how she dressed, but the woman who worked at Calvin Klein and the person that JFK Jr. fell in love with. She's a human being beyond just these pictures. She really resonates with a lot of people, and she certainly does with me.' ICYMI, showrunner Ryan Murphy shared first-look images of Sarah and her co-star, Paul Kelly, on Instagram in June and was met with backlash for CBK's hair and outfit choices. 'This PRIDE?! Violent,' former Vogue fashion editor and stylist, Gabriella Karefa Johnson, wrote under the post. Another critic added, 'The opportunity of a lifetime to source archival Carolyn fits and y'all did this,' as others noted her high-fashion look looked 'cheap' in Ryan's recreation. After the pics dropped, Carolyn's friend and former hairstylist, Brad Johns, reacted to Sarah's portrayal in conversation with Page Six. 'I love Ryan Murphy. I mean, I live for him. But there must be some kind of glitch with the costume people or the hair people, because it's not right—it's all white and burnt,' he said, adding, 'Her hair was not white and it wasn't burnt, and she hated the idea of having ashy hair—which I was totally against, too, and I never did it.' Sarah's team seemed to have considered the criticism as the actor debuted a new-and-improved shade of blonde at the I Know What You Did Last Summer premiere. She stars alongside Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, and Gabbriette Bechtel in the reboot of the 1997 slasher film, which also features its original stars, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Her character sports brunette hair in the movie, so naturally, fans ate up her look on the red carpet. In her Instagram comments section, one wrote, 'This Prada blonde moment is actually beyond words,' and another added, 'Oh the light hair is goooood 🔥👏🏾.' Ryan Murphy also reacted to comments about his take on Carolyn during an interview with Puck, saying, 'I had no idea that people cared as much as they do, but I guess that's a good thing.' The series has already started filming and is set to premiere during the week of Valentine's Day in 2026.
Vogue
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
From Carolyn to Calvin, a Closer Look at the Cast of American Love Story and Their Real-Life Counterparts
Even before the cameras rolled, Ryan Murphy's forthcoming American Love Story—a new anthology series, the first installment of which will chronicle style icon Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and political scion John F. Kennedy Jr.'s whirlwind romance—proved controversial. It was difficult to fault the casting—a smattering of promising rising stars and well-chosen big names—but the fashion? That was another matter. Among the countless questions we have for the production team, the most pressing is: Will what we've seen so far be the thrust of Carolyn's wardrobe on the show? And how will they approach adapting the style of Bessette-Kennedy's mother-in-law, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, her daughter, Caroline Kennedy, or Carolyn's boss, '90s fixture Calvin Klein, for that matter? As we await answers, we take a closer look at all the real-life figures set to feature in American Love Story, their distinctive styles, and the impressive actors due to play them. Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Photos: Getty Images The striking, dark-haired, 29-year-old actor you may know from Prime Video's The Wilds, Hulu's Tiny Beautiful Things, or for her Tony-nominated Broadway debut in David Adjmi's Stereophonic has gone blonde and donned slip dresses and strappy sandals to play the supremely chic fashion publicist at the center of American Love Story. Carolyn Bessette was born in upstate New York and raised in Connecticut, modeled briefly before landing a sales job at Calvin Klein, and then worked her way up to becoming the brand's director of publicity. She met the magnetic attorney and journalist John F. Kennedy Jr.—the only son of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—in 1992, when he was still dating Splash star Daryl Hannah. JFK Jr. and Bessette got together some two years later, and were trailed by paparazzi right up until their engagement in 1995. For their secret 1996 wedding, she wore a minimalist white slip dress by Narciso Rodriguez, her friend and colleague at Calvin Klein, making the designer an overnight sensation. Married life proved to be less of a fairytale: the media maelstrom around them intensified, the couple had numerous public disagreements, and, within a few years, rumors of an impending divorce began to swirl. Then, in 1999, John, Carolyn, and her older sister, Lauren, died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard after John, who was piloting the aircraft, lost control of it. Carolyn, John, and Lauren were only 33, 38, and 34, respectively. Since then, Carolyn has been revered and remembered for her work, as well as her impeccable, pared-back style—quickly becoming immortalized as an enduring symbol of effortless '90s elegance. Just as she often refused to give interviews or be shot for magazines, her approach to fashion had a luxe-but-low-key, don't-look-at-me quality that, ironically, made her totally irresistible to onlookers. Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr.
