JFK Jr.'s nephew unleashes on Ryan Murphy and accuses him of 'making millions' off Kennedy family tragedy
Jack Schlossberg, who is the son of the late John F. Kennedy Jr.'s sister Caroline Kennedy, took Murphy to task in an Instagram post for allegedly 'making millions' from one of his family's many painful tragedies.
The 32-year-old writer has been blasting the 59-year-old American Horror Story co-creator on social media for weeks over his latest series, American Love Story.
The first season of the spinoff series will focus on the courtship between Schlossberg's uncle JFK Jr. and his future wife Carolyn Bessette.
The couple and Bessette's sister Lauren Bessette tragically died in a plane crash in 1999 after the single-engine plane piloted by Kennedy crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard.
Schlossberg took issue with part of Murphy's recent conversation on California Governor's Gavin Newsom 's podcast This Is Gavin Newsom.
Schlossberg has been blasting Murphy, 59, on social media for weeks over his latest series, American Love Story. The first season focuses on the courtship between Schlossberg's uncle JFK Jr. and his future wife Carolyn Bessette (pictured together on March 9, 1999, in NYC
Schlossberg highlighted an excerpt from a news story referencing the podcast.
'Murphy shared his surprise over Schlossberg's comments. "I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you don't really remember,"' the writer and producer was quoted as saying.
In his caption, Schlossberg went on to demonstrate that he very much remembered his late uncle.
'Hey @ryanmurphyproductions: My earliest memories are of John calling me Jackolatern and 'the nudist,' picking me up from school, his Pontiac convertible,' he wrote.
'I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding and the day he died. I remember Wyclef singing at his funeral,' he continued. 'More memories are passed down from stories — like the time he locked himself out of a car in an intersection and asked the guy screaming at him if he could borrow a golf club to smash the window to get the keys, and then did it.'
As he had previously, Schlossberg took Murphy to task for allegedly refusing to donate all or part of his earnings from American Love Story to institutions dear to the Kennedy family.
'You're making millions off John, making a public spectacle of it but won't contribute any of your riches to the causes he championed, or the legacy of public service he represented,' he seethed.
Schlossberg capped off his caption with a comically low blow in which the actor Paul Anthony Kelly, who plays JFK Jr. in American Love Story, caught a stray.
'Also odd that the actor playing the sexiest man alive is bloated!' Schlossberg concluded, referencing his uncle being crowned People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.
Schlossberg was six years old when his uncle's tragic death captivated the nation.
Last month, he attacked Murphy online for allegedly never consulting with the Kennedy family about his plans for American Love Story.
Murphy offered a first glimpse into the upcoming anthology series American earlier in June.
The television producer — who recently created the new show All's Fair starring Kim Kardashian — shared photos to the Ryan Murphy Productions Instagram account that included camera tests with some of the leading stars.
Paul Kelly has taken on the role of JFK Jr., while Sarah Pidgeon is playing Bessette in the series, which is set to begin airing on FX and streaming on Hulu next year in February 2026.
A number of fans jumped to the comment section to share their thoughts on the first look, as well as Schlossberg.
The American writer penned, 'HEY RYAN - admiration for John is great but maybe consider DONATING PROFITS TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY thanks.'
Murphy jumped to the comments to offer his own response to Schlossberg and simply wrote, '@jackuno I absolutely will.'
Murphy had uploaded a carousel of images as Kelly and Pidgeon dressed as Kennedy Jr. as well as Bessette.
The two stars posed inside a spacious studio as they did a camera test as production officially kicked off this week.
'FIRST LOOK! Here are some stills from our LOVE STORY camera test,' the TV writer wrote in the caption of the post.
'We started shooting this week in New York City and can't wait until you see the romantic and tragic love story between America's prince, JFK Jr., and fashion icon Carolyn Bessette - out Valentine's Day week of 2026.'
He added, 'I am thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices. Congratulations Sarah and Paul!'
Sarah — who is known for the Amazon Prime Video series The Wilds — could be seen wearing a black turtleneck as well as black trousers and a tan coat.
She slipped into a pair of closed-toed, black pumps and allowed her platinum blonde locks to flow down straight past her shoulders.
'FIRST LOOK! Here are some stills from our LOVE STORY camera test,' the TV writer wrote in the caption of the post
He added, 'I am thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices. Congratulations Sarah and Paul!'
Paul wore a double-breasted, gray suit which was paired with a white dress shirt and red-patterned tie
Bessette had been a fashion publicist for Calvin Klein and was also known for her classic and minimalistic style.
Paul wore a double-breasted, gray suit which was paired with a white dress shirt and red-patterned tie.
In one image, he sported a pair of shades and also stopped for a photo outdoors while donning a different suit.
Kelly further channeled the late JFK Jr. in a pair of jeans, green shirt and black vest, similar to a past look worn by the attorney.
The two stars also cozied up together for the camera - which was shown in a video in a separate post on Friday.
Other celebrities that have been cast in the upcoming project include Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein, Leila George as Kelly Klein, Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette and Noah Fearnley as Michael Bergin.
Social media users shared their thoughts on the first look into the new series - with one penning, 'Amazing casting. I knew immediately it was him.'
Another typed, 'Wow, I knew who they were before even reading the caption,' and a fan added, 'Beautiful casting. Well done. Cannot wait to see how it comes together.'
'Man, Jr's casting is DEAD ON,' an Instagram user shared, while celebrities also offered their own feelings.
Fashion designer Marc Jacobs commented, 'Can't wait,' while Office alum Mindy Kaling wrote, 'Wow.'
While Murphy replied to Schlossberg, the producer also responded to another fan who had questioned about the 13th season of American Horror Story.
'Ryan are we getting AHS13 this year? Or not in 2025?' they asked, and Ryan answered, 'Sarah Paulson and I are cooking up something cool!'
The premise of the upcoming series will show, 'what started out as a beautiful union for the young couple, widely regarded as American royalty, [begin] to fray under the stress of the relentless microscope and navel gaze of tabloid media,' per Deadline.
'The pressures of their careers and rumored family discord ended with their tragic deaths when his private plane crashed into the ocean on a hazy summer night off the coast of Massachusetts.'
Carolyn and John Jr. - who was the son of late 35th President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy - first crossed paths in 1992, when he was in a relationship with actress Daryl Hannah.
Two years later, Bessette and Kennedy began dating and their romance was heavily publicized. The pair were often pictured out in NYC together or attending events.
In 1995, Carolyn and John became engaged and secretly tied the knot in a romantic ceremony the following year in September 1996.
The nuptials were held at a small chapel by candlelight at the Georgia Island of Cumberland - with close friends and family in attendance.
A young Jack Schlossberg had notably been the ring bearer during the wedding.
Bessette had worn a silk gown as she said 'I do' from designer Narciso Rodriguez. After the nuptials, media attentions towards the couple continued to grow.
On July 16, 1999 - Carolyn, John Jr. and her sister Lauren - passed away after their plane crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
It was later ruled that the cause of the tragic incident was due to Kennedy losing control and all three of the bodies were recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean five days after the crash.
Prior to her relationship with Kennedy, Carolyn had dated Calvin Klein model Michael Bergin.
Executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson told Variety last year that Bessette and Kennedy's story 'really resonates right now. It's amazing.
'A lot of younger women are looking to [Carolyn] 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.'
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