Historical Romance
‘American Love Story’: Everything We Know About the JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Romance Series

American Love Story has found its Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The FX series was first announced in 2021 but was put on the back burner in recent years. American Love Story is the latest in Ryan Murphy‘s growing universe of American anthology series, including American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and American Sports Story.
Over the last year, there has been renewed interest in the fascinating and often complicated romance between the eldest son of President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis and the beautiful and mysterious Calvin Klein publicist. Their relationship garnered relentless media attention, and Bessette-Kennedy became a fashion icon of the 1990s.

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American Love Story will explore the early days of their relationship, their eventual marriage, the highs and lows in between, and the tragedy that shocked the world. Scroll down for the latest updates on American Love Story.
When is American Love Story coming out?
There’s no premiere date yet for American Love Story. Given the early stages of casting, we likely won’t see the FX series until at least 2026.
In September 2024, executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson gave an exciting update about the status of the show. “We’re very much intending to [tell that story],” Jacobson told Variety. Simpson added, “We have great scripts on that. We’re trying to figure out when it’ll land. It is a story that really resonates right now. It’s amazing. A lot of younger women are looking to her as sort of a representational icon of a certain period of time that’s really fascinating, and hopefully, we’ll be able to bring that to the screen soon.”
Who is playing Carolyn Bessette in American Love Story?

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Sarah Pidgeon has been cast as Carolyn Bessette in American Love Story, according to Variety. Pidgeon rose to fame in the Prime Video series The Wilds and garnered critical acclaim for her performance in Tiny Beautiful Things. She recently made her Broadway debut in Stereophonic, and also stars in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel.
Who is playing John F. Kennedy Jr. in American Love Story?
The role of John F. Kennedy Jr. in American Love Story has not been cast yet. Finding the right actor to play the charming JFK Jr. will be no small feat. Names that have been tossed around on the internet include Jacob Elordi, David Corenswet, and Wolfgang Novogratz.
What happened to JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette?
The couple struggled with the intense media scrutiny surrounding their relationship. They were photographed constantly by paparazzi, including times when they were having arguments in New York City. Kennedy and Bessette-Kennedy made their final public appearance together at a John F. Kennedy Presidential Library event in May 1999.
The couple and Bessette-Kennedy’s sister, Lauren, were killed on July 16, 1999, in a plane JFK Jr. was flying to Martha’s Vineyard for a wedding at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The plane wreckage was discovered after a five-day search. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that crash was caused by Kennedy’s spatial disorientation while descending over water at night.
American Love Story, Series Premiere, TBA, FX