'Love Story' team says Kennedy show criticism 'made us work harder'

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYWed, February 4, 2026 at 9:24 PM UTC

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1 / 0Stars step out for Ryan Murphy's 'Love Story' premere: See photos

A who's who of celebrities stepped out Feb. 3, 2026, for the premiere of FX's "Love Story." The show is director Ryan Murphy's first installment of an anthology based on the whirlwind romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Scroll to see stars on the red carpet, beginning with Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon. Pidgeon and Kelly star as Kennedy and Bessette.

For "Love Story," some early criticism may have been a blessing in disguise.

Sarah Pidgeon, Paul Anthony Kelly and more stars stepped out at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 3, for the New York premiere of Ryan Murphy's latest series "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette." The show, set to debut just before Valentine's Day, dramatizes the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of President John F. Kennedy, and Carolyn Bessette, who became a tabloid obsession up until they both died in a plane crash in 1999.

On the red carpet, the team behind the show opened up about some of the initial criticism they received, as fans scrutinized the costumes and hairstyling in test photos.

"It really made us work harder," Kelly, who plays John F. Kennedy Jr., tells USA TODAY. "It gave more fuel to the fire of creating this. We had to dive deeper. We got clothes on point. It really just finely tuned what we were trying to do."

Sarah Pidgeon attends the premiere of "Love Story" at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 3, 2026, in New York City.

In June, Murphy released what were described as "stills from our 'LOVE STORY' camera test" showing Pidgeon and Kelly in the lead roles – and not everyone was impressed. In The Cut, fashion writer Danya Issawi argued the costumes were not up to snuff, saying "these garments look too much like modern-day replicas of their '90s counterparts" and the hair isn't "quite right," either. Murphy quickly clarified to Variety that the images were simply test photos for lighting and color purposes and wouldn't necessarily reflect the costumes in the final show.

"That is not the wig we're using, that is not the purse we're using," he told Puck. "Those are just things we had to show the studio. It was a work in progress, but I released it, because sometimes you put things out and the paparazzi backs off, so your actors don't feel attacked."

What to know about series on JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette's romance

Still, series creator Connor Hines tells USA TODAY that some of the negative early feedback occurred when there was still time to "course correct or make any necessary adjustments."

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1 / 0See John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's whirlwind romance

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette became tabloid fodder when the publisher son of President John F. Kennedy, described as the "closest thing to American royalty," and the Calvin Klein publicist, "a star in her own right," met in 1992 while at his fitting for the clothing brand. In recent years, Bessette's fashion has found a new following – particularly on TikTok – as a new generation fawns over her simple but chic wardrobe. After they were married, Bessette was known as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The end of the Kennedys' love story shocked the world when they died in a plane crash alongside Bessette-Kennedy's sister, Lauren Bessette. The former first son was piloting the aircraft when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard in 1999. Now, director Ryan Murphy is releasing the first installment of his "Love Story" anthology based on the whirlwind romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. See their relationship in photos, beginning here at the U.S. Customs House in New York City on May 19, 1999, for the Newman's Own/George Awards.

For instance, Murphy previously said on the "This is Gavin Newsom" podcast that after seeing criticism of Pidgeon's hair in initial photos, he decided she would need to dye her hair rather than wear a wig. The show also replaced its original costume designer weeks into production, according to Vanity Fair.

Ryan Murphy's American Love Story' finds its JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette: See photos

The "passionate" reactions from fans were ultimately heartening, as they reinforced how invested the public still is in the story, Hines says.

"I, more than anything, was sort of moved by how strongly people still felt about them," he tells USA TODAY, noting he initially thought "we weren't going to have a sense of the public's relationship or interest in John and Carolyn 25 years later until the show came out."

Sarah Pidgeon, Grace Gummer, Paul Anthony Kelly and Naomi Watts attend the premiere of "Love Story" at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 3, 2026 in New York City.

Pidgeon says dealing with the criticism "was a new experience" for her, but she stressed that fans will be happy with where things landed.

"It was really important, not only to me but to the creatives and the whole team, to get her physically right," Pidgeon says. "She's so well-known through these photos. She is an icon of fashion. And I think if you watch it, you'll see that we really got it right."

'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' cast

"Love Story," which also stars Grace Gummer, Alessandro Nivola, Leila George, Sydney Lemmon, Constance Zimmer and Naomi Watts, will premiere its first three episodes on Thursday, Feb. 12, on FX and Hulu at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Contributing: Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Love Story' show premiere – Stars talk costume backlash

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