Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has made it clear that he and his mother, Caroline Kennedy, found little truth—and plenty of humor—in their portrayals on the FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. On April 15, 2026, Schlossberg appeared on Next Question With Katie Couric and recounted the moment he showed his mother a clip from the show, in which actress Grace Gummer played Caroline Kennedy.
“I showed her a clip of her,” Schlossberg, 33, shared with Couric. “And we were laughing so hard.” The scene in question featured Gummer “freaking out,” according to Schlossberg, who added, “We're just laughing so hard as if that's how my mom acts.” The two Kennedys, he said, viewed the dramatization as a far cry from reality.
Schlossberg didn’t stop at his mother’s portrayal. He also found amusement in actor Ben Shenkman’s depiction of his father, Edwin Schlossberg, especially the costume choices. “They had my dad dressed up in some plaid outfit,” Schlossberg said. “My dad's the most stylish guy I've ever met, so it's funny.” Host Katie Couric noted that his parents were perhaps not “portrayed in a very positive way,” a sentiment Schlossberg readily agreed with. “The two nicest, most dignified, private people in the whole world,” he said of his mom and dad, “who do nothing but help others.”
Despite the laughter, Schlossberg was clear about his stance on the show’s artistic liberties. He labeled Love Story “stupid” and emphasized, “Keep in mind, it might be entertaining, but it's fiction.” He wanted viewers to remember that the series is not an accurate depiction of his family’s real-life dynamics.
The FX series, created by Ryan Murphy, premiered in February 2026 and quickly sparked debate. According to OK! Magazine, reviews were mixed, with some praising the performances and others—especially those portrayed—taking issue with the show’s creative choices. Grace Gummer, 39, who took on the role of Caroline Kennedy, spoke to ABC’s On the Red Carpet in March about her approach: “I tried to sort of capture her essence. I’m not interested, as an actor, in imitating people, so I just gathered information all over the place. And through reading and talking to people that she knows, I got an energy sense.” In a separate interview with Town and Country, Gummer expressed deep respect for Caroline Kennedy, saying, “I have so much admiration and respect for Caroline, and my greatest hope is that I did right by her.”
But not everyone felt the show did them justice. Daryl Hannah, who dated John F. Kennedy Jr. before his marriage to Carolyn Bessette, was especially vocal. In April 2026, she penned an open letter published in The New York Times after receiving messages from viewers who seemed to believe the show’s portrayal was factual. “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 actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue,” Hannah wrote. “The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.” She called it “appalling” that she felt compelled to defend herself against a TV show, adding, “These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct—and they are false.”
Schlossberg, meanwhile, has not shied away from criticizing the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy. In July 2025, after Murphy suggested that Schlossberg had no right to be upset due to his young age at the time of his uncle’s death, Schlossberg responded publicly on Instagram. “Hey @ryanmurphyproductions,” he wrote, “My earliest memories are of John calling me Jackolatern and 'the nudist,' picking me up from school, his Pontiac convertible. I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding and the day he died. I remember Wyclef singing at his funeral.”
While Schlossberg didn’t begrudge anyone who enjoyed the series, he made a broader point about the Kennedy family’s legacy. “My issue is—we have a lot of serious problems facing our country, and my family, we're not just celebrities,” he told Couric. “We're not just icons. These are public servants.”
Schlossberg’s own commitment to public service is evident. A Yale alum and graduate of Harvard’s JD/MBA program, he announced in November 2025 his candidacy for New York’s 12th congressional district. “I am inspired by my family’s legacy of public service,” he told Vogue in 2024. “I take that very seriously, and I want to contribute in my own way. I have big dreams, but I also know that I’m trying to make a positive impact today.”
The Kennedy family’s story, of course, is one of triumph and tragedy. Schlossberg’s mother, Caroline Kennedy, served as U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration and ambassador to Australia under President Biden. The family has weathered personal loss, most recently the death of Jack’s sister, Tatiana Schlossberg, on December 30, 2025, after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Tatiana, a journalist and Yale graduate, wrote candidly about her illness in The New Yorker in November 2025, revealing her diagnosis was terminal. She was 35.
As for the wider Kennedy clan, their history is woven into the fabric of American politics and culture. From Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald’s nine children to the public service and personal struggles of each generation, the family’s story continues to fascinate—and sometimes frustrate—those who carry the name. Even as they inspire works of fiction, the real Kennedys remain, in Schlossberg’s words, “trying to make a positive impact today.”
For Jack Schlossberg, the laughter he shared with his mother over a fictionalized TV scene is a reminder of the gulf between public perception and private reality. As he steps into his own political career, he carries both the burden and the promise of that legacy, determined to ensure that the Kennedy name stands for more than just stories on a screen.