Jack Schlossberg, the nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., sharply criticized filmmaker Ryan Murphy’s new show Love Story, calling it a distorted portrayal of the late JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Schlossberg spoke about the controversy surrounding the series on CBS’ Sunday Morning, expressing frustration with Murphy’s lack of family consultation and the show’s depiction of his relatives. This confrontation highlights ongoing debates over the “Ryan Murphy JFK controversy” and the representation of the Kennedy family in media.
Schlossberg began by dismissing Murphy’s understanding of the family, stating,
“Well, if you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,”
showing his disbelief that Murphy attempted to tell their story without genuine connection. Schlossberg urged viewers to approach the series with skepticism and warned that it should be considered a work of fiction rather than a factual account.
He emphasized,
“I would just want people who do watch the show to watch it with one letter in mind, and that’s a capital F for fiction. 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.”
The choice of the word “grotesque” reflects deep dissatisfaction and anger toward the series’ portrayal.
Schlossberg also challenged Murphy to take responsibility for the profits gained from the series by suggesting,
“Mr. Murphy would donate some of the millions of dollars of profits that he’s making to some of the causes that John championed throughout his life.”
He further proposed that Murphy could support the JFK Library financially to honor President Kennedy’s legacy, but criticized Murphy for prioritizing profit over authenticity.
“He could donate some of that money to the JFK library to help keep President Kennedy’s memory alive, but he’s not. He’s making money. This is not a documentary. And I’ll leave it at that.”
Family’s Ongoing Concerns Amid Broader Cultural Misrepresentations
This public condemnation is not unique; Schlossberg has repeatedly expressed displeasure with Love Story for failing to involve the Kennedy family in its creation. He connected this issue with a wider context of misinformation and misappropriation surrounding the Kennedy legacy, particularly citing recent political controversies involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Donald Trump.
Schlossberg noted,
“Partly because of [Health Secretary] RFK Jr., but also partly because Donald Trump has used JFK as sort of a human punching bag, both by renaming the Kennedy Center after himself, by doing a false reinvestigation into the assassination, and dismantling all the programs that he fought for.”
He expressed concern about the distortion of his family’s image at a critical time.
He continued,
“There’s a lot of misinformation now and iconography being used about the Kennedy family, my family, at a time when we really can’t afford to confuse people. We really need to take every breath that we have to try to make things better.”
Schlossberg’s comments reveal a strong desire to protect the historical and cultural legacy of the Kennedys from exploitation and false narratives.
Ending his remarks with pointed advice, he said,
“So, if Ryan Murphy really cares so much about the Kennedy family, my uncle John, maybe he would try to do something about getting Trump out of power.”
His statement underscores the tension between artistic portrayals and real-life political dynamics impacting the family’s reputation.
The Premise and Popularity of Love Story
Love Story is a nine-part limited series that premiered on FX on February 12 and quickly became a top-rated program on Hulu and several premium video-on-demand platforms. The series explores the intense romance, rapid courtship, and highly publicized marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Created by Connor Hines and based on Elizabeth Beller’s biography Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Love Story features Ryan Murphy as executive producer. Despite its commercial success, the show has stirred controversy from the outset, caused by both its representation of the characters and production details.
Ryan Murphy’s History of Contentious Releases
Murphy’s involvement in Love Story aligns with his reputation for generating acclaim along with criticism. Past projects, including his true crime anthology Monster on Netflix, have drawn significant backlash. Real-life victims’ families and cultural commentators have objected to how people like Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein were portrayed and humanized in Murphy’s dramatizations.
The Love Story series received some previous criticism over costume choices during its development in 2025, though the backlash did not reach the levels seen in Murphy’s other works. This pattern illustrates the persistent tension between Murphy’s storytelling approach and the sensitivities of real people connected to his subjects.
Principal Cast and Portrayal
The show stars Alessandro Nivola, Sydney Lemmon, Sarah Pidgeon, and Naomi Watts, who play key figures such as John F. Kennedy Jr., Lauren Bassette, Carolyn Bessette, and Jackie Kennedy respectively. Their performances anchor the narrative, contributing to the series’ broad appeal despite the controversy surrounding it.
