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CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Who was John F. Kennedy Jr.?
MediaFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Watch the three-part CNN Original Series 'American Prince: JFK Jr.' premiering August 9 at 9 p.m, ET/PT and running the following two Saturday nights. John F. Kennedy Jr. was born into the Kennedy political dynasty in the early 1960's just after his father was elected president of the United States of America. Now 26 years after his death, his life is embedded into politics and culture. 'JFK Jr. was harnessing his celebrity into something meaningful, and most people don't bother to do that,' Tabitha Soren, a former MTV News correspondent, said. Here are five things you should know about him from the upcoming CNN Original Series 'American Prince: JFK Jr.' Kennedy was the first son of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, born in 1960. His birth, just a few weeks after his father was elected as the 35th president of the United States, made the front page of every major newspaper. Kennedy grew up in the spotlight, and everything from his professional choices to his dating life was the focus of tabloid fodder – including public relationships with actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Daryl Hannah. Kennedy went on to marry Carolyn Bessette, an American fashion publicist, in the fall of 1996. The couple quietly wed in a ceremony off the coast of Georgia before settling into an apartment in Manhattan – but the couple remained under intense media scrutiny up through, and after, their deaths in 1999. 'You kind of grew up being this public figure even before you knew you were a public figure,' said Oprah Winfrey, during a broadcast with Kennedy. Steve Gillon, a friend of Kennedy, said, 'You have to realize that JFK came to power just as television was becoming the primary source for people getting their news.' Even though the media affectionately referred to JFK Jr. as 'John-John,' the nickname was exclusively used by the public and rarely, if ever, by his own family. The nickname, which was mistakenly given to him by a reporter who misheard his father repeating his name in succession, remains in the political zeitgeist. 'I promise you, his sister didn't call him John-John, his mother, no one in his family, even like the extended cousin ever called him John-John,' said Carole Radziwill, a Kennedy family member. Kennedy studied American history at Brown University and graduated in 1983. Even though he tried to cast his celebrity aside, people flocked to his 'JK factor,' a term Kennedy himself coined. 'There was always that kind of special, he got a little bit special treatment that the rest of us didn't get,' recalled former Brown classmate and friend of Kennedy Gary Ginsberg. During his undergraduate studies, Kennedy balanced his familial obligations with his professional, including his campaign work for his uncle, Ted Kennedy, who was running for president. Freshly graduated from Brown, a 23-year-old Kennedy went to India where he studied at the University of Delhi. 'He always said, you know, I don't want to do what people expect me to do. He needed to do something that stood out,' said Gillon. Gillon said Kennedy often sent letters in which he alluded to the future, and while in India, Kennedy thought about law school as a possible career step. Kennedy earned his law degree from New York University Law in 1989, but he couldn't escape the press during his time in law school or after. 'There is an intense amount of scrutiny around what is John F. Kennedy Jr.'s thing going to be,' said CNN contributor and political historian Leah Wright Rigueur. While fielding incessant questions about his political aspirations, Kennedy continued down the legal path and took the New York bar exam, which he failed twice. Front pages ran wild with headlines like 'The Hunk Flunks,' but by the third try, he passed. Perhaps Kennedy's crowning professional legacy was the George, a glossy monthly magazine covering the intersection of politics, television, art and culture. Kennedy and his business partner, Michael J. Berman, worked with publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media US to launch the magazine in the fall of 1995. With magazines as powerful in driving conversation as social media is today, the George worked to turn people on to politics: 'Politics is much too important to be left only to the politicians,' Kennedy said. The provocative debut cover featured supermodel Cindy Crawford dressed as George Washington. 'George was a huge risk for John. Look, George was a risk for any person wanting to start a magazine,' said Lisa Depaulo, a journalist at George. Even with the popularity of magazines, the emergence of figures like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton created a space for political entertainment not yet seen. Kennedy's fierce competitiveness and innate popularity worked in his favor. On its launch day, the magazine sold half a million copies, making it the most successful debut in magazine history.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Who was John F. Kennedy Jr.?
MediaFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Watch the three-part CNN Original Series 'American Prince: JFK Jr.' premiering August 9 at 9 p.m, ET/PT and running the following two Saturday nights. John F. Kennedy Jr. was born into the Kennedy political dynasty in the early 1960's just after his father was elected president of the United States of America. Now 26 years after his death, his life is embedded into politics and culture. 'JFK Jr. was harnessing his celebrity into something meaningful, and most people don't bother to do that,' Tabitha Soren, a former MTV News correspondent, said. Here are five things you should know about him from the upcoming CNN Original Series 'American Prince: JFK Jr.' Kennedy was the first son of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, born in 1960. His birth, just a few weeks after his father was elected as the 35th president of the United States, made the front page of every major newspaper. Kennedy grew up in the spotlight, and everything from his professional choices to his dating life was the focus of tabloid fodder – including public relationships with actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Daryl Hannah. Kennedy went on to marry Carolyn Bessette, an American fashion publicist, in the fall of 1996. The couple quietly wed in a ceremony off the coast of Georgia before settling into an apartment in Manhattan – but the couple remained under intense media scrutiny up through, and after, their deaths in 1999. 'You kind of grew up being this public figure even before you knew you were a public figure,' said Oprah Winfrey, during a broadcast with Kennedy. Steve Gillon, a friend of Kennedy, said, 'You have to realize that JFK came to power just as television was becoming the primary source for people getting their news.' Even though the media affectionately referred to JFK Jr. as 'John-John,' the nickname was exclusively used by the public and rarely, if ever, by his own family. The nickname, which was mistakenly given to him by a reporter who misheard his father repeating his name in succession, remains in the political zeitgeist. 'I promise you, his sister didn't call him John-John, his mother, no one in his family, even like the extended cousin ever called him John-John,' said Carole Radziwill, a Kennedy family member. Kennedy studied American history at Brown University and graduated in 1983. Even though he tried to cast his celebrity aside, people flocked to his 'JK factor,' a term Kennedy himself coined. 'There was always that kind of special, he got a little bit special treatment that the rest of us didn't get,' recalled former Brown classmate and friend of Kennedy Gary Ginsberg. During his undergraduate studies, Kennedy balanced his familial obligations with his professional, including his campaign work for his uncle, Ted Kennedy, who was running for president. Freshly graduated from Brown, a 23-year-old Kennedy went to India where he studied at the University of Delhi. 'He always said, you know, I don't want to do what people expect me to do. He needed to do something that stood out,' said Gillon. Gillon said Kennedy often sent letters in which he alluded to the future, and while in India, Kennedy thought about law school as a possible career step. Kennedy earned his law degree from New York University Law in 1989, but he couldn't escape the press during his time in law school or after. 'There is an intense amount of scrutiny around what is John F. Kennedy Jr.'s thing going to be,' said CNN contributor and political historian Leah Wright Rigueur. While fielding incessant questions about his political aspirations, Kennedy continued down the legal path and took the New York bar exam, which he failed twice. Front pages ran wild with headlines like 'The Hunk Flunks,' but by the third try, he passed. Perhaps Kennedy's crowning professional legacy was the George, a glossy monthly magazine covering the intersection of politics, television, art and culture. Kennedy and his business partner, Michael J. Berman, worked with publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media US to launch the magazine in the fall of 1995. With magazines as powerful in driving conversation as social media is today, the George worked to turn people on to politics: 'Politics is much too important to be left only to the politicians,' Kennedy said. The provocative debut cover featured supermodel Cindy Crawford dressed as George Washington. 'George was a huge risk for John. Look, George was a risk for any person wanting to start a magazine,' said Lisa Depaulo, a journalist at George. Even with the popularity of magazines, the emergence of figures like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton created a space for political entertainment not yet seen. Kennedy's fierce competitiveness and innate popularity worked in his favor. On its launch day, the magazine sold half a million copies, making it the most successful debut in magazine history.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carole Radziwill's Most Emotional Revelations in New John F. Kennedy Documentary Series
Carole Radziwill opened up about her 'last summer' with close friends John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in the gripping CNN docuseries American Prince. The three-part series revolved around John's lifelong struggle with his family's legacy as well as his whirlwind courtship and marriage to Carolyn before they died in a 1999 plane crash near Martha's Vineyard. (Carolyn's sister Lauren Bessette was also killed in the crash). As part of this unprecedented exploration of John's life, Real Housewives of New York City alum Carole also looked back on her own marriage to John's first cousin Anthony Radziwill, who died from cancer less than one month after John and the Bessette sisters were killed. (Anthony's mother, Lee Radziwiłł, was Jackie Kennedy's sister.) 'All I could think of [when John and Carolyn died] was, I'm going to be the only one [of us] left,' Carole said. Why JFK Jr. Didn't Call William and Harry After Princess Diana's Death Despite Wife Carolyn's Plea American Prince premieres on CNN Saturday, August 9, at 9 p.m. ET. Keep scrolling for some of Carole's most poignant revelations from the doc: 'John John' One longstanding Kennedy family myth was dismissed in the opening segment of American Prince's debut episode, 'The Boy Who Would Be King,' as Carole casually denied that anyone in John's family ever called him 'John John.' Although John was known to have disliked the nickname, Carole's revelation was particularly surprising since her friend was referred to as 'John John' in the media for his entire life. 'This whole 'John John' thing, I don't know where it came from,' the RHONY star admitted. 'I think it was a press thing. Something happened where people thought that maybe his family called him, 'John John.'' She then clarified, 'Some people just started saying ['John John'] to imply that they were close to him. I promise you, his sister didn't call him 'John John.' His mother, no one in his extended family, even like the extended cousins, ever called him 'John John.'' 'Everyone Was Hooking Up' Carole met her husband, Anthony, while they were both working at ABC News. While they eventually tied the knot in August 1994, Carole and Anthony were initially concerned about how their workplace relationship would be perceived. 'Anthony and I started dating eight months after I first met him in L.A.,' she remembered. 'We were together, sort of casual[ly], because we were both at ABC News and we both felt like, 'Let's just keep this quiet.' But, of course, it was the '90s. Everyone was hooking up at work!' 'Girls' Girl' Carole recalled meeting Carolyn and forming an immediate bond with her very early in the former Calvin Klein PR agent's relationship with John. 'She was so extraordinary in so many ways,' Carole said of her friend. 'We were in our late 20s at the time and she was the first girl I ever knew who was, like, this much over-used expression, 'girl's girl.' She was so beautiful.' The What Remains author recognized that both she and Carolyn never quite fit in with the rest of the Kennedy clan. 'It's a big family and like all big families, there's a lot of politics and quirks that you just have to learn. Maybe John's family more than other families,' Carole acknowledged in American Prince's second episode. 'There was a higher expectation and [Carolyn] didn't play the game. She didn't suck up to anyone, no one in his family.' She continued, 'Carolyn and I came from a very similar background. I grew up very from humble beginnings, like working class, upstate New York. Her mom was a single mom raising three daughters in a very working-class neighborhood. I think we felt like a real sisterhood because of it. We were like the ultimate outsiders.' Two Cancer Battles Anthony suffered a recurrence of testicular cancer shortly before his and Carole's wedding, which coincided with his aunt Jackie Kennedy's own diagnosis with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1994. (Jackie died in May 1994 while Anthony succumbed to cancer in August 1999.) 'It was very traumatic because, at that point, my fiancé was battling cancer,' Carole said. Carole recalled a wrenching phone conversation where Anthony and Jackie each tried to break the news to one another about their diagnoses. 'I remember him saying, 'OK, you go first.' Then, [Jackie] said, 'I have bad news that I've been diagnosed with lymphoma,'' Carole said. 'The end [for Jackie] came pretty quickly. I remember it was a Sunday when we all were together and [by] Thursday, she passed away.' 'Pig S*** and Horse Manure Everywhere' A significant portion of American Prince's second episode explored how John and Carolyn pulled off a private wedding in Cumberland Island, Georgia in September 1996. Friends and family confirmed that the couple only invited a few representatives from each branch of the Kennedy clan to prevent the paparazzi from finding out. '[John] was pretty much the most famous guy in the world. As a couple, they were sought after,' Carole pointed out. 'They got married on a tiny island. There was not a single photographer … They just wanted to keep it a little private for a little bit longer.' How JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Worked on Marriage, Planned for Kids Before Tragic Death As for the ceremony itself, Carole joked that the newlyweds went for a totally D.I.Y. approach without extravagancies that anyone would expect from a Kennedy wedding. '[Outside] the church, there was pig s*** and horse manure everywhere,' Carole said with a chuckle. '[Carolyn] came from fashion, and he was passionate about magazines. It's funny because his sister [Caroline Kennedy] got them a T-shirt for their wedding and it said … 'Politics + Fashion = Fashion.'' A Cryptic Wedding Toast One unsettling moment at the wedding reception occurred when Carolyn's mother, Ann Marie, delivered a toast that proved to be prophetic, according to Carole. 'Carolyn's mother really loved John but when she made a toast, I'll never forget, at the end of it, she said, 'I hope my daughter has the strength for this,'' Carole disclosed. 'Everyone, sort of, stopped for a moment. I think, even Carolyn in her way, underestimated the impact of marrying John and marrying into the family.' The Difficult Final Year Carolyn and John had a number of run-ins with the paparazzi in the final year of their lives. Carole recalled that John was usually able to shake off these dust-ups because he'd dealt with them his whole life, while Carolyn was much more rattled. 'John couldn't understand, being a very privileged male, he had no sense of what the press would say about her,' Carole admitted. Carolyn came up with a plan to wear the same bland outfit in public repeatedly in hopes of deterring photographers from following her — though even this clever idea failed to dampen media interest. One particularly poignant moment occurred when Carole was on the phone with Carolyn during Princess Diana's funeral in August 1997. (Diana died as a result of injuries sustained in a car chase with the paparazzi in Paris.) 'It was very profound,' Carole said. 'I mean, Princess Diana, she was our age, pretty much. The underlying way in which she died, which was being literally hounded to death by paparazzi. That lesson was definitely not lost on Carolyn.' The Plane Crash John piloted a private plane, with Carolyn and her sister Lauren on board, to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding in Martha's Vineyard in July 1999, only for the plane to crash shortly before it was due to land. All three were later confirmed dead as a result of the tragic accident. American Prince's third and final episode, 'The Final Summer,' featured candid recollections from Carole and other friends about how they learned of the crash. 'It was just one of those calls that you dread. Immediately, you know [something is wrong],' Carole said. 'It was 11 o'clock, close to midnight on Friday night, and John's friend … was calling from [the] Hyannis airport, saying, 'They're not here. Are they there with you?' Even like 25 years later, I still get this pit in my stomach.' Carole relied on her background as a journalist to call every agency that could conceivably have information on her friends' whereabouts. 'Every call I made, it was just more bad news,' she said. 'I called Carolyn's mom to tell her they hadn't arrived, that the plane was kind of missing. How do you say that to a mother?' Carole's husband, Anthony — who was in the throes of terminal cancer by the time — eventually got up from bed and was amazed to see dozens of notes that his wife used to document her makeshift investigation. 'He just looked at it and it was like, the sadness,' she reflected. 'I remember him just putting his head down in his hands and it was just like, he couldn't even cry.' 'Crazy F***ing Summer' In the final moments of the docuseries, Carole admitted how painful it was to lose three of her closest loved ones within weeks of each other. 'It was so cruel for Anthony to have to watch [his cousin's death],' she declared. 'John and Anthony, they were real brothers. All I could think of was like, 'I'm going to be the only one left.'' Anthony died on August 10, 1999, less than one month after John and the Bessette sisters passed away on July 16. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Still Enchant America
The Kennedys have endured public fascination for more than 65 years and in the last few years, John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy have once again come back into the limelight with numerous books, countless fashion articles and social media accounts dedicated to the couple. Now, a three-part CNN documentary series, 'American Prince: JFK Jr.,' that premiered on Sunday is recollecting all the stories about America's golden couple: the good, the bad, the forgotten and the political. More from WWD Manny Jacinto Talks 'Freakier Friday,' First Impressions of Jamie Lee Curtis, and Embracing a Heartfelt Role How Naomi Watts Is Recreating Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' New York City Style for 'American Love Story' On This Oxford Campus, the Boys Dress With Character The series features interviews from close family, friends and acquaintances: Carole Radziwill, Steven M. Gillon, Gary Ginsberg, Robert De Niro and Cindy Crawford — touching on the subjects of celebrity, privacy and legacy. 'The reason why I participated in the documentary was because I don't want John to be remembered as the 'Hunk Flunk' or the sexiest man alive. He was a man of substance and I hope that the documentary's portrayal of him captures the substance, as well as the flair,' said Gillon, a friend of Kennedy Jr. and author of 'America's Reluctant Prince: The Life of John F. Kennedy Jr.,' in an interview. The documentary paints him as a man in search of purpose, in his professional and personal life, something he came close to finding after his mother's death in 1994. The first episode, 'The Boy Who Would Be King,' traces the public's zeal for Kennedy Jr. from the day he was born and the events that followed, from his father's assassination to his time at Brown University, his 1983 trip to India after graduating, failing his bar exam numerous times, the pressures of his mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the launch of his political magazine George. His magazine was met with hype with Cindy Crawford posing as George Washington photographed by Herb Ritts for the first issue. In hindsight, it was a precursor to the media world's focus on the now common collision politics, celebrityhood and pop culture. It started out strong with 97 percent of the 550,000 newsstand copies of the first issue having reportedly been sold. The first person Kennedy Jr. interviewed for the magazine was George Wallace, the famous segregationist who his father clashed with in the '60s. He went on to interview numerous political figures. 'His point was that these are really human beings who are complicated. His other goal was to find common ground and to try to overcome the growing partisanship in American politics with a magazine that marries culture with politics,' said Gillon. Running a magazine was not what it was cut out to be for Kennedy Jr., who faced constant pushback from his publisher Hachette. He had no real experience working on a publication and the magazine demanded more of his personal time and his publisher urged him to share more of his personal life in its pages. 'He came of age during the emergence of celebrity culture in America. Being the son of a martyr president with a political background, his family name and being the sexiest man alive just contributed to this public fascination with him and I'm not surprised it's continued all these years,' said Gillon. He adds that in many ways Kennedy Jr. was America's answer to royalty. His family has continued to work in public service and maintained a public allure. Carter, editor of Air Mail and author of 'When the Going Was Good: An editor's adventures during the last golden age of magazines,' told WWD, 'Visuals count a lot in American popular culture. And John and Carolyn were far and away the best-looking, non-movie-star couple in existence. Each of them had off-the-charts charm. And they had it in equal measure.' Recalling seeing the couple after one of the White House Correspondence dinners, Carter said, 'They were sitting outside at the Vanity Fair after party. There was a chill in the air, and she was sitting on his lap to warm up and they seemed like the center of that world without even trying.' 'There's a nostalgia for the '90s, and no couple captures that era quite like John and Carolyn. They were pre-internet, pre-influencer, famous but still private, stylish without trying, iconic without knowing it. In a world now obsessed with overexposure, their mystery is what keeps people fascinated,' said Radziwill, a family friend of the couple and the wife of Anthony Radziwill, Kennedy Jr.'s cousin. 'Their love story, and the tragedy that cut it short, has become something of a fascination for people born long after it happened. They represent a pre-9/11 America — before we had to remove our shoes and started measuring liquids at airport security. The '90s had a kind of freedom that feels almost mythical now,' she added. But like any fairy tale, the cracks of their relationship started to appear in 1996 after they got married. The press started to ask for the same openness of Bessette Kennedy as they did from Kennedy Jr. 'He grew up with paparazzi. It was second nature to him, whereas Carolyn struggled mightily with the amount of attention and the focus on celebrity — it was a source of real tension within their marriage,' said Gillon. 'Carolyn just added to the traction that John had and widened his public appeal, but there was a downside to that — there was a split in the family,' he added. Kennedy's former assistant at George magazine, RoseMarie Terenzio, said in an interview, 'The fascination with them continues and I am happy about that. I don't want them to be forgotten.' While some of that interest can be chalked up to social media accounts (like @carolyn_iconic, @allforcarolyn, and @allforjohnjr among others), Terenzio said the revitalized interest is 'not just about this glamorous couple.' She said, 'There's always been this emotional connection to John in this country from the time when he was born. And a younger generation picked up on her, her style and her fashion sense.' The fact that Bessette Kennedy never spoke to the media or gave interviews made her this mysterious figure to a lot of people, Terenzio said. 'But part of their appeal is a nostalgia for a period, where there was no social media and there were no cellphones. There are certainly a finite number of images of them from the paparazzi and certain events.' Kennedy never had a cell phone and Bessette Kennedy had a little StarTAC [flip] phone or something, according to Terenzio. 'Back then, it was like, 'Oh my gosh, there's paparazzo around. Now everyone is paparazzi. Everyone has a cell phone and an Instagram account,' she said. 'It was a more uninhibited time. There was certainly more freedom and connection. When you sat down to dinner, everybody wasn't taking a picture or looking around. They were just talking and not recording every moment. There's some nostalgia for that.' According to the documentary, Kennedy Jr.'s aunt Lee Radziwill told tabloids in 1997 that the family was said to have not approved of Bessette Kennedy. However, Radziwill did not disapprove of Bessette Kennedy at all, according to friend of Radziwill's. 'I was in East Hampton with her, when the accident happened and she was quite devastated about her nephew and Carolyn,' the friend said Friday. The former Calvin Klein publicist is compared to the likes of Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, who faced the scrutiny of entering a public family that's inspected under a magnifying glass by the press and public. With her own sense of originality, Bessette Kennedy routinely shopped at What Goes Around Comes Around in SoHo for vintage Levi's, pretty dresses and other finds. 'Very aware of trends,' she was 'really one of the early forerunners to take vintage shopping into a bigger picture fashion moment,' said co-owner Seth Weisser. 'Her body size was perfect for a vintage cut.' Pressure reached new heights by 1999 for the couple. Bessette Kennedy had more involvement with George Magazine that caused a further rift in their deteriorating marriage. Kennedy Jr. was trying to gain momentum again for the publication against the backdrop of his cousin, Anthony Radziwill, dying of cancer. The documentary outlines that the hardships made the couple reassess their lives with the hope of moving out of New York City to lead a more private life and to potentially start a family. In July of 199, a single-engine plane that the 38-year-old Kennedy Jr. was piloting crashed into the sea, killing him, his 33-year-old wife and her 34-year-old sister Lauren. 'John was like his father, who will always be remembered for what might have been: How would things work out? Would they have worked out the issues in their marriage? Was John going to get into politics?' said Gillon. He remembers Kennedy Jr. telling him that he didn't understand the American public's fascination with his father's death. 'We could say the same thing about John now — people are fascinated by his death and that adds another level of intrigue and dimension to the way we think about John today,' Gillon added. Even 26 years since the death of Kennedy Jr. and Bessette Kennedy, their tale still proves to have magnetism. The fashion designer Nicole Miller unknowingly provided an alias for anything related to their wedding on Cumberland Island in North Carolina. Her friend Gogo Ferguson, a friend of Kennedy's, orchestrated the festivities at the First African Baptist Church and at the Greyfield Inn that she operates. To keep everything under wraps with caterers and others involved with the top-secret nuptials, Ferguson referred to it as 'Nicole Miller's wedding.' Never mind that Miller had been married for a few years. Miller recalled how the president's son attended a party at her store that she hosted for Ferguson, who is also a jewelry designer, and he sported one of her bone jewelry pieces. As for the ongoing zeal, the designer said, 'They were just a golden couple. They were both absolutely gorgeous. It still seems like something that shouldn't have happened. Everybody loved John Kennedy over time.' Ferguson told WWD, 'There is this elegance that comes with the Kennedy name and the rise of the obsession with the New England style that Carolyn and John so eloquently modeled with their 'quiet luxury.' Carolyn's timeless style has become incredibly relevant in today's fashion, with her blending of quality basics, high-end pieces and more affordable brands appealing to younger generations.' Describing JFK Jr. as 'a very dear friend,' Ferguson said, 'John was an authentic man, but so many people romanticize the relationship they had.' The next retelling of the couple's history will come from Ryan Murphy's FX series 'American Love Story,' which is due out next year. And fans and critics are already weighing in on that one. Launch Gallery: JFK Jr. Through the Years With John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Photos Best of WWD Longtime Vogue Editor Grace Mirabella Dies at 91 First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Helps Forbes Celebrate Its 50 Over 50 List Mikaela Shiffrin Gets Personal in New Series for Outside+
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘American Prince: JFK Jr.' Review: Paparazzi and Politics on CNN
Anyone looking for sordid revelations and toppling idols can look somewhere other than 'American Prince: JFK Jr.,' a three-part biographical bouquet to the son of the assassinated president. He would be 64 years of age today, had he survived that 1999 Cape Cod plane crash. No one knows what CNN will do from day to day, but is there a reason for this show right now? Anyone looking for motives might imagine an effort to mend a much-damaged Kennedy brand. Such would be conjecture. That 'American Prince' is running on consecutive Saturday nights does fit the strategy adopted by several outlets to target weekend stay-at-homes with Boomer-friendly content. Would younger viewers know or care as much about John F. Kennedy Jr., aka 'John John' (a tag he apparently hated, rightly), the little boy who saluted his father's casket in November 1963? Who grew up to be a Brown graduate, Manhattan prosecutor and founder of the political magazine George? The 'sexiest man alive' who kept politicos anxious for years wondering 'will he/won't he?' (Run for office, that is.) He had the name, charm, connections and media savvy. He'd not only been born a celebrity, he'd been raised to behave like a royal.
