‘The answer is no’: JFK Jr.’s nephew slams Ryan Murphy for profiting off the Kennedy name in a ‘grotesque’ way

Ryan Murphy is probably Hollywood’s busiest TV producer not named Shonda Rhimes. American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Monster — and that’s just a portion of his ongoing lineup. Apparently, somewhere in that packed schedule, he also managed to squeeze in American Love Story, and his first subjects are the late John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The Kennedy family is, let’s say, not thrilled.

The Kennedys are, of course, American political royalty. Despite whatever RFK Jr. is up to these days, there remains a generally warm regard toward the family — but they rarely appear in dramatized American media. That might be, in part, because of how much tragedy has followed them. Assassinations, accidents, and in this case, a plane crash that killed JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in 1999.

Lately, though, JFK Jr. has made a return to the zeitgeist. With 1990s fashion back in full swing and wider silhouettes replacing form-fitting alternatives, he and Carolyn have become something of a posthumous It Couple. Their street style is now on every Pinterest board and “quiet luxury” roundup. Ryan Murphy, never one to miss a trend, likely saw the algorithm giving them renewed attention and decided now was the time to dramatize their reportedly rocky romance. The only problem? The Kennedys themselves found out about it from the same press release the rest of us did.

These days, the most recognizable Kennedy to younger generations is Jack Schlossberg, JFK Jr.’s nephew and Caroline Kennedy’s son. He took to Instagram to make it very clear where the family stands. According to Yahoo!, Schlossberg said, “Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man. For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with the new show being made about him, the answer is no, and there’s really not much we can do.”

This isn’t exactly new territory for Murphy. He’s not known for currying favor with the families of his “subjects.” During the rollout of Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the backlash from those close to the case was swift and intense. But Murphy, in true Murphy fashion, has stuck to his “never complain, never explain” ethos. He’s made clear he has no intention of slowing down when it comes to mining public trauma for prestige television.

Over on social media, the first-look photos of newcomer Paul Kelly as JFK Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette have already gone viral. And to be fair, they do look the part — eerily so. But looks aside, the show’s success will hinge on the writing. Murphy’s hits are often as stylish as they are divisive. And when the story is less sensational and more sentimental, the script has to do a lot more heavy lifting. Schlossberg said it best when he added, “For the record, I think admiration for my uncle John is great. What I don’t think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way.”

First look at Paul Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon as JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in Ryan Murphy’s ‘AMERICAN LOVE STORY.’

Set to premiere February, 2026 on FX. pic.twitter.com/W5B5YwRTbF

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 13, 2025

First look at Paul Kelly as JFK Jr. in ‘AMERICAN LOVE STORY.’

Premiering February 2026. pic.twitter.com/2LS31DQhXa

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 13, 2025

Murphy also couldn’t resist adding one final cheeky detail: the series will premiere on Valentine’s Day in 2026. It’s probably the most buzz he’s ever generated for a show that doesn’t involve a serial killer or an unsolved murder. Hopefully, it’s all worth the hype — and ideally, doesn’t open old wounds just to trend once on a cold Thursday.