Latest news with #MarthasVineyard
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
JFK Jr.'s nephew unleashes on Ryan Murphy and accuses him of 'making millions' off Kennedy family tragedy
The bitter feud between the nephew of JFK Jr. and TV producer Ryan Murphy took another twist on Wednesday. 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.'
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
The Wealth Weekend: Martha's Vineyard Returns for 2025 With New Documentary Series Hosted by Soledad O'Brien
Scheduled to Take Place August 12-14, the Event is Presented in Partnership with The Saunders Firm and Nex Cubed MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA / ACCESS Newswire / July 23, 2025 / This August, The Wealth Weekend returns to Martha's Vineyard from August 12-14, convening a powerful network of investors, innovators, policy leaders, and cultural architects to accelerate Black American wealth, ownership, and influence across generations. The high-impact experience is presented by Black Wealth Events and produced by The Coutureman LLC: Advisory, in partnership with The Saunders Firm, P.C. and Nex Cubed. This year's event marks the debut of a compelling new documentary series hosted by award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien, spotlighting the stories, strategies, and groundbreaking contributions of HBCU leaders across finance, entrepreneurship, public policy, and creative industries. Filmed live throughout the weekend, the series will offer an unprecedented look into the real-time conversations and collaborations shaping the future of Black American prosperity. Adding to the power of this year's experience are two visionary co-hosts who bring depth and purpose to the mission. The Saunders Firm, P.C. is an estate planning law firm recognized for its leadership in changing how families approach legacy planning and generational wealth, while Nex Cubed is a venture accelerator that champions innovation from HBCU founders and diverse entrepreneurs. Together, they amplify the intersection of capital, justice, and innovation. Three Days of Power, Purpose, and Legacy: August 12 - Legacy on the Lawn An intimate reception and live fireside chats focused on legacy, trust, and the wealth preservation strategies being implemented by families, entrepreneurs and others. Our aim? To reshape your perspective on legacy and generational wealth. August 13 - Thought Leadership Roundtables Curated think tank sessions designed to elevate Black America's contribution to GDP, with a focus on investment, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. August 14 - Access to Capital Forum In partnership with Nex Cubed, this forum highlights scalable HBCU-led ventures, connects founders with capital allocators, and explores inclusive investment vehicles. 'This is about power, scale, and impact,' said LaMar Wright, Founder of Black Wealth Events/ Principal of The Coutureman LLC: Advisory. 'The Wealth Weekend: Martha's Vineyard is where capital meets culture - and where Black American wealth becomes a national economic priority.' The Wealth Weekend: Martha's Vineyard is more than an event - it's a blueprint for generational impact. This year's programming also includes: With visionary partners, purposeful programming, and a deep commitment to legacy-building, The Wealth Weekend: Martha's Vineyard is redefining what Black wealth looks like, feels like, and accomplishes in the world. For media inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or to request press credentials, please contact: Janie Mackenzie [email protected] 856.473.2166 About Black Wealth Events Black Wealth Events (BWE) is a premier platform dedicated to fostering economic competitiveness, investment, and innovation within Black American communities. Through its flagship event series, The Wealth Weekend, BWE connects industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to catalyze wealth-building initiatives globally. SOURCE: Black Wealth Events press release
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Vogue
7 days ago
- General
- Vogue
Joseph Lee on the Sprawlng Portrait of Aquinnah Wampanoag Identity at the Center of His New Book, Nothing More of This Land
While Martha's Vineyard is perhaps best known as a vacation spot that draws the well-to-do likes of Seth Meyers and the Obamas to its shores every summer, the island also has a rich and complex Indigenous history. Aquinnah Wampanoag writer Joseph Lee gives voice to that past in his new book, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. The book chronicles Lee's own upbringing in Martha's Vineyard, as well considering what it means to be in community with other Indigenous individuals around the world. Here, he discusses the book, community sovereignty, taking inspiration from fellow Aquinnah Wampanoag author and historian Linda Coombs, learning the Wampanoag language as a child, and his favorite thing to do when he's back on Martha's Vineyard. This conversation has been edited and condensed. Vogue: How does it feel to see the book out in the world? Joseph Lee: I mean, the book being out is just really exciting. It's a little bit strange because, you know, you work on something for a long time and mostly by yourself, and then suddenly it's out in the world and people are reading it, and it's exciting and a little scary. Transitioning from just writing, where it's you and your laptop, to being out there talking about it and promoting it is great, but it's definitely a shift. You dig so much into present history, including the origins of your own name. What did your research process look like? It was pretty mixed, because I was using so many different types of sources. A lot of it was just talking to my parents or talking to cousins or going back through tribal meeting records, but [there was also some] looking through the local papers, or we have a tribal newsletter that goes out, and I've looked at a lot of those. I was also doing research online and interviewing people from other places. It was a really diverse research scope. It was just trying to gather as much as possible and [use] as many different sources as possible. Are there books that you kind of feel helped your book exist? I would say almost every book written by an Indigenous person before me. Actually, there's one from my own tribe, by Linda Coombs, and it's called Colonization and the Wampanoag Story. I'm not sure what the technical categorization is, but it's a book that has a lot of history as well as a creative retelling, imagining what life was like before colonization in our tribe. Those kinds of books helped me factually—the information in those books was useful to me—but it also helped me personally think about being a Wampanoag author, being a Native author, and putting something like this out into the world.
Condé Nast Traveler
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
The Jaws Guide to Martha's Vineyard, 50 Years Later
I've been a movie fan all my life, and Jaws was, for me, the right film at the right moment in my life: It was fantastically suspenseful, and the sea story that makes up the last third of the film was incredibly exciting. But I think that even 12-year-old me recognized that there was more to it than just 'who's the monster going to eat next?' Or 'how are we going to kill the monster?' As an adult, when I lived far from the Vineyard, watching Jaws was an easy way to 'go home' without having to drive a thousand miles or buy a plane ticket. What's your greatest memory on set? I was on the set for one day in late June, when they shot the 'cardboard fin' scene on State Beach. When the assistant director announced through his bullhorn that 'we need 100 brave people to get in the water and play the crowd,' a friend and I volunteered. My overwhelming memory of it was that the water was incredibly cold and—even far from the beach—extremely shallow, only waist deep. We had to pretend that we were splashing and having fun in water over our heads. When we got the signal to 'panic' and swim for the beach, we acted like we were swimming in deep water; we couldn't stand up until the last possible moment. It took 5 or 6 takes—which felt like 10 or 12—until the director—not Spielberg, probably first assistant director Tom Joyner—was satisfied. Over the last 50 years, so much and so little has changed since Jaws was filmed here at Martha's Vineyard. Pamela Schall/Getty Steven Spielberg, at 27 years old, faced a failing mechanical shark and an unpredictable ocean at Martha's Vineyard. Edith Blake/Martha's Vineyard Museum Why do you think Martha's Vineyard was such a great location for the film? Martha's Vineyard is bigger and more diverse (culturally, geographically, economically) than Amity Island, but it has many of the same qualities: a mixture of working-class locals and wealthy summer people, dependence on tourist dollars, arguments about whether or not to do something that might benefit the community in the long run, but might also hurt tourism in the short term. Filming on the Vineyard made Amity feel like a real place and its residents feel like real people. What special locations around the Vineyard can people still visit to commemorate the film? Downtown Edgartown, which 'played' the village of Amity, still looks very much like it did in the movie. You can walk the same route that Chief Brody takes along Davis Lane, South Water Street, and Main Street as he strides from the police department to the hardware store, and stand on the same docks where the fishermen of Amity showed off their tiger shark. Menemsha, where they temporarily built Quint's shack, and filmed the scenes of the Orca loading and departing, still looks very much like it did. The ferry terminal in Vineyard Haven has two slips instead of one now, but Jaws fans disembarking there last weekend were overheard saying excitedly, 'Oh my God! I feel like I'm walking through that scene in the film where people are arriving for the Fourth of July!' State Beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, where the two panic scenes—as well as Chrissie's run into the water on her ill-fated nighttime swim—were filmed, still looks just like it did in 1974. There are no striped cabanas and hot dog stands in the dunes; those were built by the production crew for the film. You can stand on the bridge that the shark swam under to eat the man in the red rowboat (and almost eat Mike Brody). Hundreds of people jump off it every day, despite signs warning you not to. It's now known especially to tourists as 'Jaws bridge,' though some old-timers grumble about that not being the real name.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Obamas' private Martha's Vineyard beach could be opened to PUBLIC if wealthy developer gets his way
The Obamas private beach in Martha's Vineyard could soon be opened to the public if a millionaire developer gets his way in a long-running legal battle. Boston real estate mogul Richard Friedman has been fighting his neighbors in the wealthy enclave for years over access to a two-mile stretch of barrier beach, Oyster Pond. He bought a 20-acree property in 1983, believing the purchase gave him ownership of the barrier beach. But his wealthy neighbors disagreed, saying they owned the beach. A lengthy legal saga ensued that was ultimately brought to an end by natural erosion and shifts in the beach's sands. As the court battle went on for decades, Friedman decided that, since the private beaches had by this point moved north to rest between two bodies of water considered 'public' under Massachusetts law - Oyster Pond and Jobs Neck Pond - no private entity should be able to lay claim to them. Now Democratic governor Maura Healy is pushing to open the beach stretch to the public, adding a measure to a $3 billion environmental bond bill that would define a barrier beach which moves - whether by erosion or rising sea levels - on to public land as public property. The bill declares that a beach that moves into the 'former bottom of the great pond shall be and remain in Commonwealth ownership in perpetuity.' Hundreds of homeowners would be affected if the measure passes, including Barack and Michelle Obama, whose 28-acre estate includes a barrier beach that would become open to the public. As the Boston Globe points out, Friedman is a Healy donor and is even scheduled to host a fundraiser for her this weekend. Critics of the bill have accused her of doing a donor's bidding but she insists the planned law will open more of her state's most stunning beaches to regular people who aren't super-rich. The Democrat has denied being swayed by her wealthy donor. Her spokesperson said in a statement: 'As someone who grew up on the Seacoast, Governor Healey has always felt strongly about increasing public access to beaches and great ponds.' The Obamas purchased the sprawling vacation home on Martha's Vineyard for $11.75 million in 2020. The battle between millionaire families has been raging since a century ago, when two wealthy clans - the Nortons and the Flynns - with oceanside mansions carved out the beach overlooking Oyster Pond, claiming land rights to large slices of the shoreline. The Norton land is now owned by three trusts - with Friedman being the principal owner, and the Flynn land is owned by six trusts. Last September, a court ruled against Richard and in favor of the neighbors who say they own the beach. Representatives for the Flynn trusts have been fighting Friedman's efforts for decades, and experts told the Boston Globe that the law would likely invite lawsuits from the affected homeowners of properties with private beaches. Eric Peters, one of the attorneys for the Flynn trusts, said 'There is no public interest promoted' by this this legislation promotes the of a real estate developer.' Friedman's lawyers meanwhile have claimed 28 beaches that are now considered private would be open to the public if the law is changed. Friedman is the developer behind the famed Charles Hotel in Cambridge and the Liberty Hotel in Boston.
