“Love Story” Showrunner Defends Decision Not to Consult Kennedy Family
Connor Hines, the showrunner of “Love Story,” is standing by the decision not to consult the Kennedy family for the latest installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series. The show explores the marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette, but Hines believes that maintaining some distance from the subject matter allows for a more objective approach to the material.
In a statement to Variety at the show’s New York premiere, Hines explained, “As a writer, it’s more healthy and effective to have some distance from the subject matter. It allows you to be a lot more objective in how you approach the material, versus when you’re talking to people personally, you feel a sense of responsibility of relaying exactly what they’re telling you because they’ve given you their time.”
He further added, “It’s an incredibly large family as well. So if you were to talk about consulting them, where would you even begin?”
The series faced criticism from Jack Schlossberg, nephew of JFK Jr., who accused the production of profiting off his uncle’s life in a grotesque way. Schlossberg called on Murphy and Hines to donate part of the proceeds to the John F. Kennedy Library.
Murphy responded to the criticism, stating, “I am going to donate. I also like Jack’s Instagram when he just lip syncs to ’90s girl groups stuff. I want more of that. But I think it would be really hard if your relatives are always in the media.”
This isn’t the first time a Ryan Murphy production has clashed with the estate of its subject. The producer did not seek authorization from the Versace family before moving forward with “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” leading to public disapproval from the Versace family.
However, in a rare instance, Murphy consulted with Monica Lewinsky during the development of “American Crime Story: Impeachment,” with Lewinsky serving as a producer on the series.
Despite not consulting the Kennedy family, Hines and Murphy took three years to pause development at FX to better understand the central subject of the show. They waited for the publication of Elizabeth Beller’s biography, “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy,” for inspiration.
“Love Story” is now streaming on Hulu, starring Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr., and Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The show aims to shed light on Bessette’s life and the importance of privacy in a public figure’s personal life.
