‘Love Story’: Who Wrote That Shocking Letter JFK Jr. Received About Carolyn Bessette?
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Episode 4, “I Love You.”]
Episode 4 of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette explored one of the lowest moments of John (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn’s (Sarah Pidgeon) relationship. After playing football in the park, John discovered a letter in his bag that someone had dropped in without him knowing.
The contents of the letter included shocking allegations about Carolyn. In the latest episode of the FX series, John told Carolyn that the letter contained information about “men you’ve dated, drugs, shady friends that you’ve got, things like, you were trying to meet me, that you were fixated on me.” A stunned Carolyn grabbed the letter, read it, and threw it in his face.
FX
This wasn’t a plot point added to amp up the drama between John and Carolyn. There was an anonymous letter that caused a real rift between them. So, who wrote the letter? Swooon is doing a deep dive into all the information about the shocking anonymous letter.
What did the letter say about Carolyn Bessette?
The show stayed true to the letter’s original contents. The writer of the letter alleged Carolyn was a “user, a partier, that she was out for fame and fortune” and “dated guys around town,” according to Elizabeth Beller’s Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
Instead of John confronting Carolyn about the letter’s allegation at his loft, the interaction happened in a much more public place: El Teddy’s restaurant in Tribeca. He tossed the letter at Carolyn and walked out the door. The other major change the show made was the timing of the letter. In the show, John got the letter after he and Carolyn were in a serious relationship.
In reality, John got the letter before his mother, Jackie Kennedy, died in 1994. After receiving the letter, he eventually got back together with Daryl Hannah one last time before reuniting with Carolyn.
Who wrote the letter about Carolyn Bessette?
The person who wrote the letter about Carolyn was a trusted friend of John’s, who “came from a milieu of boarding schools, Ivy League universities, and ‘old money’ families of New York, though he didn’t divulge these facts until much later,” per Beller.
The identity of the letter writer has never been publicly revealed, even after more than 25 years. However, Carolyn would discover the truth. “It took years, but she would find out who wrote the letter, and later freeze them out,” Beller wrote.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, Thursdays, FX and Hulu
