Ryan Murphy’s recent biographical drama, titled Love Story, brings new attention to the tragic romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette. The nine-part series, released on FX and Hulu, chronicles the couple’s journey from their first meeting at a party through to their untimely deaths on July 16, 1999, alongside Carolyn’s sister Lauren Bessette.
The tragedy unfolded when the small plane piloted by JFK Jr. crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, ending the lives of all three occupants. While the drama centers on John and Carolyn’s intense relationship, one key figure connected to their circle has been notably excluded from the series.
Carole Radziwill’s Exclusion Highlights Complexities of Kennedy Circle Portrayal
Carole Radziwill, known for her role on The Real Housewives of New York City, was deeply affected by the losses of John, Carolyn, and her husband Anthony Radziwill. At just 36 years old, she endured the deaths of her two closest friends and her spouse over a brief period. Carole’s husband Anthony was JFK Jr.’s cousin and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s nephew, and the couples were intimately connected, sharing roles as best men at their weddings.
Despite this closeness, Carole does not appear as a character in Ryan Murphy’s new adaptation. A source close to the production told Rob Shuter that Carole “was adjacent, not central” to the story, emphasizing that the drama focuses primarily on John and Carolyn.
“You can’t include everyone who attended the dinners. Audiences want the love story. That’s the engine,”
a producer explained.
However, this narrative stance has been met with disappointment considering Carole’s own reflections about her friendship with the couple. “I lost everything that night,” she has written, highlighting the depth of her connection.
A Hollywood insider commented to Y! Entertainment on Carole’s exclusion, stating,
“For someone who values that Kennedy proximity, being left out of the definitive retelling? That’s a hard pill.”
Radziwill’s Deep Ties to the Kennedy Family and the Couple
Carole’s path crossed with the Kennedy family when she met Anthony Radziwill during her early career in Manhattan. Starting as an unpaid intern, she advanced to producer roles at ABC, where Anthony worked as an associate producer. Their relationship blossomed over two years before Carole was officially introduced to the extended Kennedy family.
In 1992, the couples shared a summer home in the Hamptons, further strengthening their bonds. Reflecting on her connection with JFK Jr., Carole told People magazine in 2005,
“I never heard him introduce himself as ‘John F. Kennedy Jr’ in the 10 years that I knew him. He was just John Kennedy.”
Her friendship with Carolyn was immediate and warm. She recalled,
“She came right over to me as though she knew me and put her hand on my shoulder and asked if I had an extra toothbrush.”
Anthony Radziwill’s Cancer Battle and the Kennedy Support Network
Carole and Anthony’s marriage was profoundly affected by his long struggle with cancer. Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1989, Anthony faced remission but was later confronted with fibrosarcoma, a deadly bone cancer, shortly before his wedding in 1994. For the following five years, Carole was his primary caregiver until his passing in August 1999, merely weeks after the Kennedy plane crash.
Throughout Anthony’s illness, both John and Carolyn were steadfast supporters of the couple. Carole described their close bond and shared humor during difficult times. She explained to The Telegraph in 2005,
“When they were kids, John was always the one who joked with Anthony and could make him laugh. So his way of dealing with the cancer was to continue being funny. He thought it would cheer him up, and it did. But he also told me that he was afraid that if he stopped joking, Anthony would know things were really bad and would just give up and die.”
Details Surrounding the Fatal Plane Crash and Radziwill’s Heartbreaking Experience
Though Carole’s character is absent from the screen adaptation, she was intimately entwined in the events leading to the fateful plane crash. On that evening, she spoke briefly with Carolyn as they prepared for takeoff, which initially seemed routine. John had piloted this route multiple times, but poor foggy conditions caused him to lose orientation, resulting in the disaster.
Carole recounted to People in 2017 how she received a late-night call from a friend named “Pinky” at Martha’s Vineyard Airport, who was waiting for the couple’s arrival. Upon realizing the plane was missing, Carole promptly contacted the Coast Guard around 2:30 a.m. to report the disappearance, stating,
“‘Once I said that out loud to the Coast Guard and made the missing persons report, I knew that this was a real thing. That was a heartbreaking moment.’”
Memories and Reflections from Carole Radziwill’s Memoir and Interviews
Prior to publishing her memoir in 2005, Carole shared her grief and memories in an exclusive essay with The Daily Mail. She described her final conversation with John and Carolyn, recalling,
“Frozen in mid-conversation, we had the luxury, the last time we spoke, of talking about what we might have for dinner Sunday. It was a quick call. John was preparing to take off from a small private airport.”
She continued,
“Anthony and I would see them, in their house on the Vineyard where we were staying, in 48 hours. The plan, for July 18, was grilled steaks and peach pie.”
Carole highlighted the foursome’s closeness and their shared plans, acknowledging Carolyn as
“the glue who kept people together.”
Reflecting on the impact of their deaths, she wrote,
“I lost everything that night, I wasn’t the only one. We all lost something. It was personal for me, and for their friends and family, but it was also bigger. 1999 was the end of an era. The end of a century. It was the end of an innocence we didn’t even know we had.”
Carole further reminisced about the hope and comfort gained from togetherness during that summer,
“Specifically, that summer, the four of us in a difficult time. There was hope that George magazine would turn around. Hope that being together at the beach, after a family wedding in Hyannis, would correct a few errant curveballs. We’d all breathe, find strength enough in one day to be able to handle the next.”
Just three weeks after the crash, Anthony passed away in Carole’s arms at a New York hospital. She poignantly described this moment in her memoir, What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love, saying,
“‘I listen to [his] heartbeat until it is so faint I can barely hear it and then it’s gone.’”
Carole Radziwill’s Career Shift and Reality TV Journey Post-Tragedy
After Anthony’s death, Carole released her memoir in 2005, which spent 12 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. She then began writing a monthly column titled Lunch Dates for Glamour Magazine in 2006, where she met a variety of celebrity guests including Alex Baldwin and Prince Andrew.
Carole entered the reality television world in 2011 as a cast member on the fifth season of The Real Housewives of New York City, remaining until its tenth season in 2018. During her time, viewers witnessed her complicated friendships and romantic relationship with chef Adam Kenworthy, who was over 20 years her junior. The couple separated in 2017 after three years together.
Her departure from the show was marked by a public conflict with producer Andy Cohen. Carole revealed she was frustrated by on-set issues and accused producers of treating certain stars preferentially. She explained her exit in a statement, saying,
“I have decided to return to what I do best – journalism and producing. I am sure this does not come as a surprise to any of the viewers, all of whom have been supportive, encouraging, and kind.”
She added,
“‘My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament… I will remember this entire experience with delight, humor, and a veracious accuracy.’”
Ongoing Tensions and Unexpected Return to the Reality Series
Carole’s discomfort was highlighted during the season ten reunion, where she clashed with Andy Cohen. She openly called Cohen “full of s**t” for his assertion that she and Bethenny Frankel had been antagonistic throughout the season. Later, she defended her stance on X (formerly Twitter) after Cohen accused her of “Trumpian” behavior. Shortly afterward, she announced she would not return to the show.
Despite this history, fans were surprised when it was recently revealed that Carole will return to The Real Housewives of New York City as a “friend” for the upcoming 16th season, marking an unexpected re-entry into the series.
The Importance of Personal Narratives in Retelling Historic Tragedies
The omission of Carole Radziwill from the Ryan Murphy Love Story adaption underscores the challenges of depicting complex real-life events involving many intertwined relationships. While the series keeps its focus squarely on John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s romance, the absence of close friends like Carole leaves questions about which perspectives are prioritized.
Carole’s intimate losses, her personal caregiving role, and her public sharing of grief through memoir and interviews demonstrate the multifaceted nature of this tragedy. As audiences engage with the dramatized retelling, understanding the broader web of relationships offers deeper insight into the enduring impact of the Kennedy family’s story.
