Daryl Hannah Responds to 'Love Story' With an Op-Ed, Calling the JFK, Jr.-Carolyn Bessette Series "Textbook Misogyny"

The actress penned an essay for the 'New York Times,' alleging the FX show is full of falsehoods about her life and character.

A man in a suit (Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr.) stands with a blonde woman in a black top (Dree Hemingway as Daryl Hannah), who holds a champagne glass. The pair stand next to a flower arrangement in a room of a grand house, in a still from 'FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.'
(Image credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX)

Ryan Murphy shows that depict real-life historical figures have become infamous for their loose relationship with the truth. According to Daryl Hannah, FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is allegedly no different.

On March 6, four weeks into Love Story's run on FX and Hulu, the Splash star penned an op-ed for The New York Times addressing her portrayal on the hit drama. Early episodes dramatize the end of her long-term relationship with JFK Jr. (played by Paul Anthony Kelly), as the scion simultaneously met and fell for then-Calvin Klein employee Carolyn Bassette (Sarah Pidgeon).

"The character 'Daryl Hannah' portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John," the actress wrote in what marks her first time speaking on her romance with Kennedy Jr.

Described by Vulture as a "portrayal border[ing] on caricature," Love Story depicts Hannah (played by Dree Hemingway) as a ditzy on- and off-again girlfriend who hosts drug-fueled parties in Kennedy Jr.'s apartment. Their relationship ends largely because his mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, disapproves, and their breakup is made all the worse when Hannah crashes the late First Lady's memorial service, embarrassing the family.

FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette -- "The Pools Party" -- Season 1, Episode 2 (Airs Thurs., February 12) -- Pictured: Dree Hemingway as Daryl Hannah. CR: Eric Liebowitz/FX

Daryl Hannah, played by Dree Hemingway, in Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.

(Image credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX)

In her op-ed, Hannah rebuts each of these scenes. "I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial. I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s."

"It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct—and they are false," she added. The actress/filmmaker also described the show's choice to depict her as "irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate," and to pit her against Bassette-Kennedy. She asks, "Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?"

In addition to debunking her character's salacious scenes, Hannah's op-ed also revealed how the series has affected her. "When so many people watch a dramatization that uses a real name, real-life consequences follow," she wrote. "In the weeks since the series aired, I have received many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual. When entertainment borrows a real person’s name, it can permanently impact her reputation."

Neither Murphy, FX, nor the Love Story team has responded to Hannah's claims as of the time of writing.

John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Daryl Hannah arrive at the wedding of his cousin Edward Kennedy, Jr. in Rhode Island.

Daryl Hannah and John F. Kennedy, Jr. attend Edward Kennedy, Jr.'s wedding in October 1993.

(Image credit: Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images)

Hannah isn't the only public figure to decry Love Story as controversial. During his appearance on CBS News Sunday Mornings on March 1, JFK Jr.'s nephew (and congressional hopeful) Jack Schlossberg accused executive producer Murphy of profiting from the notoriously private family.

"If you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy," Schlossberg said. "The guy knows nothing about what he’s talking about, and he’s making a ton of money on a grotesque display of someone else’s life."

Quinci LeGardye
Culture Writer

Quinci LeGardye is a Culture Writer at Marie Claire. She currently lives in her hometown of Los Angeles after periods living in NYC and Albuquerque, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. In 2021, she joined Marie Claire as a contributor, becoming a full-time writer for the brand in 2024. She contributes day-to-day-content covering television, movies, books, and pop culture in general. She has also written features, profiles, recaps, personal essays, and cultural criticism for outlets including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Catapult, and others. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her watching the latest K-drama, or giving a concert performance in her car.