Love Story features Dree Hemmingway as Hollywood star Daryl Hannah alongside Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. (Picture: FX/Hulu)
Television hitmaker Ryan Murphy has returned with his latest glossy TV biopic, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
Set against the backdrop of 90s Manhattan, it explores the romance between JFK Jr. and his future wife, Carolyn Bessette, who both died in a tragic plane accident in 1999.
Based on a book by Elizabeth Beller, the drama also features Hollywood star Daryl Hannah, played by model and actress Dree Hemingway.
Hannah rose to fame in the 80s with roles in Blade Runner and beloved mermaid romcom Splash, before playing sinister assassin Elle Driver in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films.
Hannah and the assassinated US president’s son dated during the 90s, although she has taken umbrage with Murphy’s portrayal of her character in the TV series.
Describing the show’s portrayal of her as ‘not even remotely accurate,’ she went on to hit back against five specific – and categorically ‘false’ -allegations.
Hannah condemned the film’s portrayal of her character (Picture: Getty Images)
The show revisits John F. Kennedy Jr’s 90s relationship with Daryl Hannah (Picture: FX)
In an incendiary essay for the New York Times, Hannah described the show as ‘tragedy-exploiting television’ which portrayed her character as ‘irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate.’
Calling the decision ‘no accident,’ she continued: ‘Storytelling requires tension. It often requires an obstacle. But a real, living person is not a narrative device.
Describing how the film elevates Bessette by eviscerating her character, she added: ‘Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?’
Referring to specific events within the series, she said: ‘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.’
‘These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct – and they are false,’ she wrote.
She also claimed that she had received ‘hostile’ and ‘threatening’ messages since the show had aired.
Actress Dree Hemingway plays Hannah (Picture: FX)
Sympathising with Hannah’s plight, viewers have shared their dismay for the series’ version of events on social media.
X user GhostMellie pointed out that Murphy ‘has never been able to be respectful to anyone involved ever,’ while SoapsandSciFi said that the show was full of ‘sickness and bitterness.’
Referring to his 2022 serial killer biopic, NotMikeHarlow joked that ‘Jeffrey Dahmer got a more flattering portrayal than they’ve given her!’
‘Maybe daryl hannah can finally put a stop to ryan murphy,’ added greatestdisease.
In spite of the ongoing controversy, Love Story has largely proved successful with critics and viewers alike, contributing to an 80% ‘fresh’ score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
This includes Metro’s own Rebecca Cook, describing it as ‘captivating’ and ‘dazzling’ in our review of the series.
Hannah has denied all of the show’s allegations (Picture: Getty Images)
This comes soon after the nephew of JFK Jr, Jack Schlossberg, branded the show ‘grotesque.’
Appearing on CBS Sunday Morning, the 33-year-old said: ‘If you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy.
Calling the show ‘capital F for fiction,’ he added: ‘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,’ he slammed.
He went to suggest that Murphy ‘donate some of the millions of dollars of profit that he’s making to some of the causes that John championed’ and help keep the memory of Jr.’s father, assassinated President JFK, alive.
‘This is not a documentary,’ he said.
Love Story is the latest Murphy creation beset by controversy for its portrayal of real-life people.
Charlie Hunnam played killer Ed Gein in Murphy’s latest Monster series (Picture: Netflix UK)
In 2017, 101-year-old actress Olivia de Havilland sued Murphy and FX over her portrayal in Feud: Bette and Joan, alleging unauthorised use of her image and reputation damage.
While she claimed that the show had painted her in a negative light, a judge ultimately ruled in Murphy’s favour, citing free speech protections.
In 2022, his Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was criticised by the families of the serial killer’s victims for its insensitivity and perceived romanticisation of the killer.
Follow-up series subsequently explored the lives and crimes of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, and murderer and grave robber Ed Gein – facing similar criticism for embellishment of real-life events.
In response to the furore that accompanied his Jeffrey Dahmer story, Murphy said at the time: ‘We weren’t really interested in Dahmer the monster.
‘It was [about] who was complicit in making the monster. There were many, many different things involved in that. It was a complicated human story. It tackled systemic racism, homophobia. We were always thinking of the victims.’
Metro has reached out to Ryan Murphy’s representatives for comment.
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette is streaming on Disney Plus now, with episodes releasing weekly.
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