Daryl Hannah speaks out against her portrayal on Love Story, says it’s “Appalling to Have to Defend Myself”
Ryan Murphy’s Love Story
Ryan Murphy is no stranger to depicting true events and is certainly no stranger to attracting controversy over his depictions. The new show from the American Crime Story creator is the premiere installment of his new Love Story series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. The highly anticipated project, based on the book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, stars Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr., and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette. The FX series set a record in viewership and recently aired its sixth episode, “The Wedding,” which centered around the top-secret wedding between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Daryl Hannah’s True Story
After the episode aired, actress Daryl Hannah responded to her portrayal in the show with an opinion piece in The New York Times. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hannah addressed that it was “appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show.” The piece, titled How Can Love Story Get Away With This? stated, “The choice to portray [Hannah] as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.” Hannah claimed there was a “gendered dimension” of using her portrayal as a “narrative device” to help the viewers cheer for the JFK Jr. and Carolyn romance, instead of with JFK Jr. and Hannah. She wrote, “Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?”
She continues to state that what the show depicts is “not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John.” Hannah felt her character was being grossly misrepresented in the series, saying in the essay,
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.”
How is the show?
As previously stated, the show is a hit with FX viewers, but our Alex Maidy was taken aback by it and gave it a pretty low score, saying in his review, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette has proven to be a surprise in many ways. I did not expect a Ryan Murphy-produced project to be this conventional. While some who go in for the over-the-top and heavily stylized shows like Feud, American Crime Story, and Monster may be a bit let down by the straighforward style of Love Story, it works as a more engaging and respectful take on the tragedy of the young Kennedy couple. It may be a bit too reverential at times, but this is a good dramatic retelling that combines romance with historical accuracy. I am sure that audiences will connect with Paul Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon who are surely going to become hot talents after this series hits the air.”
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