Jack Schlossberg is the one of only two living male descendants of President John F. Kennedy (Tatiana Schlossberg’s son is the other). Jack is 33 years old, and the only son of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg. Jack’s sister Tatiana passed away two months ago from acute myeloid leukemia. He has one living sister, Rose Schlossberg. His uncle was JFK Jr. There’s currently a revival in interest for all things JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, all because of Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, which dramatized a loose version of their real romance and marriage. Absolutely no one is saying that Love Story is 100% authentic, but I’m genuinely enjoying the series and I think it’s really well done. Well, Jack Schlossberg disagrees. He’s been bitching about Love Story since it was announced. He’s currently running for Congress, which means he’s being given a national platform to… complain about Love Story.
Jack Schlossberg is continuing to go after Ryan Murphy for the portrayal of his late uncle John F. Kennedy Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette’s relationship in FX‘s Love Story series.
“If you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,” Schlossberg said when asked about the show on CBS Sunday Morning. “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.”
The Kennedy scion stressed that the show, which chronicles John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s romance before the young couple died in a tragic plane crash in 1999, is “fiction” with a “capital F.”
Reiterating some of his earlier criticism of the series, expressed over the summer long before the show premiered last month, Schlossberg also urged Murphy to take action and donate any profits from Love Story‘s success to help preserve President John F. Kennedy’s memory.
“I would hope that Mr. Murphy would donate some of the millions of dollars of profits that he’s making to maybe some of the causes that John championed throughout his life,” Schlossberg said. “Maybe he would donate some of that money to the JFK library to help keep President Kennedy’s memory alive, but he’s not. He’s making money. This is not a documentary.”
When pressed further as to why, when the Kennedy family has been the subject of numerous movies, TV shows and books, he’s taking such issue with Love Story, Schlossberg pointed to recent political events involving both President Trump and his controversial first cousin, once removed, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently the secretary of Health and Human Services.
“I think in the last year, two years, three years, partly because of RFK Jr., but also partly because Donald Trump has used JFK as sort of a human punching bag, both by renaming the Kennedy Center after himself, by doing a false reinvestigation into the assassination and dismantling all the programs that he fought for, there’s a lot of misinformation now and iconography being used about the Kennedy family, my family, at a time when we really can’t afford to confuse people,” Schlossberg said. “We really need to take every breath that we have to try to make things better. So, if Ryan Murphy really cares so much about the Kennedy family, my uncle John, maybe he would try to do something about getting Trump out of power.”
Here’s the thing… Jack can feel any way about his family being dramatized and fictionalized and possibly exploited. I get it, and that’s absolutely his right. That was his uncle. I can’t even imagine how devastated Caroline was after John’s death in 1999. Those are very real scars on his family. But… I kind of think Ryan Murphy has every right to make the show, just as people have every right to write books about the Kennedy family. I don’t even find Love Story disrespectful to John and Carolyn’s memory. I get that Jack is upset about how Donald Trump is trying to hijack the Kennedy legacy in various ways, but then… place your anger there. Say “f–k Trump” with your whole chest, don’t make a convoluted argument about how Ryan Murphy needs to donate money to the JFK Library and/or do more to stop Trump. Jack needs to work on these arguments before the election. “Ryan Murphy needs to do more to get Trump out of power!” Girl, you’re running for Congress??
Here’s Jack’s full CBS Sunday Morning interview.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- -Washington, District of Columbia – 20200818 The Democratic National Convention day 2, made-for-TV event. -PICTURED: Caroline Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg -PHOTO by: CNP/startraksphoto.com -081820_DNCC-Day02_009 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Startraks Photo for licensing fee and rights information at sales@startraksphoto.com or call +1 212 414 9464 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Caroline Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 18 Aug 2020 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
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- -Washington, District of Columbia – 20200818 The Democratic National Convention day 2, made-for-TV event. -PICTURED: Caroline Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg -PHOTO by: CNP/startraksphoto.com -081820_DNCC-Day02_007 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Startraks Photo for licensing fee and rights information at sales@startraksphoto.com or call +1 212 414 9464 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Caroline Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 18 Aug 2020 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
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- Jack Schlossberg, journalist and grandson of John F. Kennedy at the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Featuring: Jack Schlossberg Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 19 Aug 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center Featuring: Jack Schlossberg, journalist and grandson of John F. Kennedy Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former United States President John F Kennedy, films a video as US President Joe Biden departs from the White House Featuring: Jack Schlossberg Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 06 Sep 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
The main reason Jack is able to have a shot at Congress is because of the Kennedy name. Lots of people profit from it.
Sure, but profiting from your own family and your own family name is a little different from everyone and his uncle spinning their own fairy tale versions of your family’s life for their own amusement – and pocketbook.
I get where he’s coming from here.
He’s not making his uncle look like the biggest dim-bulb alive in a movie though.
Obviously, there’s a big difference.
He is the older male descendant of jfk as Tatiana had a son before she died.
Quick correction – Jack isn’t the only male descendant. Tatiana has a son. I’ve thought about her poor kids since her article.
I do and don’t agree with him, the problem being, *every* single film about this family manages to underachieve in some way. It’s like Plato’s law: art at its best is only an imitation of life. The real thing is always better. And the Kennedys were just too photogenic and spontaneously receptive to the introduction of mass media in politics and public life, for anyone to match the effect they had on popular consciousness. They make all the Hollywood stars who played Mr Smith goes to Washington look kind of pale in comparison. It’s not just about aesthetics or presentation. Kennedy gave a prime-time live address on the networks after he sent the national guard into segregated states in the South to urge people to remember that these images — of fire hoses trained on peaceful protestors, and German shepherds set on black children — were transmitted around the world, to the dismay and disgust of the entire planet. And he really drew the right connections between foreign and domestic policy: how do we ask our allies to believe that we aim to lead the “free” world when these are the images they see? That connection — between what happened in the US, and our impact, overseas — was a connection many people did not make, then. When Muhammed Ali refused to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, and went to jail instead, he said, “no Vietnamese ever called me [the n word], I’m not going halfway round the world to kill somebody that never did anything to me,” ….that was the issue that Kennedy tried to get people to see. He was so charming, people forget he had really adamant moral principles. He instructed his brother, the Attorney General, to prosecute US Steel for price-fixing, monopolistic practices, and forming a cartel. He gave another national address about corporate greed and bringing private profit to heel. I mean. AOC channels JFK frequently, I think out of genuine conviction, as does Bernie. People call him a dilettante but the truth is, he was pretty radical, especially after Eisenhower (milquetoast) and before Johnson (napalm-friendly). He wasn’t just a pretty face.
I just completed the book “Ask Not: The Kennedy’s & The Women They Destroyed” by Maureen Callahan…a few hours ago…
I knew about the DISGUSTING & PROLIFIC womanizing that EACH & EVERY KENNEDY MALE IN & OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE…has been accussed of…😠
I had NO IDEA THE LEVELS OF HORRIFIC CRIMINAL MONSTROUS BEHAVIOR FROM ALL OF THEM…AND I MEAN…ALL OF THEM…AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS😱😭☠️
I don’t EVA want to see ANOTHER KENNEDY OR ADJACENT KENNEDY IN PUBLIC OFFICE🤬 In fact…that family owes 🇺🇸 a BLANKET APOLOGY for the DEPRAVITY they have forced on society…they made a MOCKERY OF EVERY DEMOCRATIC BELIEF THEY SO CALLED STOOD FOR!
Every Kennedy male that was supposed to be cursed?…….is it though…was it a curse or………………😯
Yeah, their infidelity is problematic, for sure. But to put it in perspective — I don’t think the Kennedys were involved in human trafficking. I think their encounters were prolific, anonymous, consensual, and often professional escorts, who were not underage. Lyndon Johnson actually said, “I got laid more by accident than Kennedy did, by design.” That quote was subject to attribution and confirmation and published in his lifetime.
@Yankeedoodles..Running a human trafficking ring isn’t the ONLY way you can commit crimes against humanity regarding SA…
And in 2026 I’m not going to give the Kennedy’s or NOBODY ELSE a pass on CONSISTENT GENERATIONAL despicable behavior!😠
It’s absolutely shocking in a time we’re not event shockable any more that the bar is “not involved in human trafficking.”
I understand where Jack is coming from with his critique of Ryan. From the victims of Dahmer to Ed Gein, and how Tony Perkins was portrayed, Ryan has profited from the stories of real-life people, which has been truly offensive for the most part. Though this retelling of John and Carolyn’s story has not been disrespectful, I’m sure it still hurts to see it brought up again and splashed everywhere.
As for Ryan donating to the JFK library — I think people with money, means and influence should give to charity, education and the arts. Lest we forget that Lauren died in that plane crash too.
Ryan Murphy is a ghoul that is out of ideas of his own and has to steal from famous people’s lives in order to create sensationalistic fiction for profit. If he had an ounce of decency he would at least change the names of the characters and say that his work was ‘inspired by’ the famous people he is stealing from but doing so would lower the sensationalism and decrease his profits.
He might have mentioned Carolyn. Just to acknowledge this wasn’t just a Kennedy tragedy.
Public figures are fair game for Ryan Murphy under the First Amendment. And Jack’s uncle was a public figure, as is Jack. Schlossberg is kind of overlooking the advantages which come with being a public figure. Those advantages allow JS to run for high political office without any notable achievements in his young life. And he is going to have a very miserable life if he doesn’t learn to take the disadvantages of fame along with the advantages.
He’s not taking away Ryan Murphy’s First Amendment rights though.
He’s expressing his opinion about the movie, like the rest of us have. I think he’s more than welcome to say what he thinks about it, and to be honest, I do want to know his opinion, I’m always curious what the families think when these movies are made (probably because they come across like soap operas. This one sure does).
If he feels a fiction has been made, I also think he has the right to express that. When I’m watching the movie I can’t help but wonder how much of it is actually real.
Maybe the series will improve but so far almost every male participant in this movie, except shockingly the male model, seems rather dumb in this movie, so I’m ok with Jack Schlossberg criticizing it haha.
I kept wondering why the chemistry between Carolyn and the male model seemed hotter. Was that supposed to be intentional????
I meant to say almost every “main participant” in this movie.
I don’t even think Carolyn comes across that well. JFK Jr comes across worse, but I don’t think her characterization is that great either. Even her walk and the way she leans across tables comes across kind of weird.
It’s a TV series, right? Not a movie. Just making sure we’re talking about the same thing because I kind of wanted to start watching it.
Yes, it’s a series. But their lives were short I guess I keep thinking of this series as a movie.
The fact that it’s a series probably explains why it comes off like a soap opera with JFJ Jr and Carolyn dealing with their situationships while circling back to each other. Did they actually love each other? Who can even tell with the make model lurking around!
He is running for Congress… These people are like moths to a flame. I hope, for his sake as much as ours, that he loses.
They consider public office their right and responsibility as a the American royal family. If JFK Jr had lived and had a successful public life without ever running for/holding public office, maybe that would have changed. We’ll never know.
I’d rather him than the “Never Trumper” Conway who’s not even a democrat. Jack supports democracy, he advocated, campaigned and supported both PJB and MVP Harris. I believe he truly cares for this country and it’s people but it’s up to New Yorkers.
I have watched a few reviews of Love Story on YouTube. I wish Carolyn had kept working for Calvin Klein, and divorced JFK Jr. She seemed happier before they married. I also think she would have lived longer. Sometimes love isn’t enough of a reason to stay together.
It is her life though, who are you to say that? Her choices are what matter
Ryan Murphy is a truly terrible person but sometimes – very rarely! – the shows he’s produced are great, American Crime Story being one of them. I like what I’ve seen of Love Story has been mostly good. I can’t tell the men apart but Carole looks fantastic and the music is all bangers. (I used to read George as a teenager, so I’m perhaps primed to like this show, though.)
However, I still think Jack Schlossberg has a point and he wants to protect the family he has left.
I think Jackie expected JFK Jr to be cordial, polite, and private at all times (a product of the time in which she grew up in and the times in which an upper class Kennedy like JFK Jr would have grown).
I think Caroline probably gives her children more freedom to express their opinions publicly, and has allowed them to adapt and evolve with the current times. She’s more reticent, but she doesn’t seem controlling of how her children should communicate in public. I think maybe we’re not used to seeing a Kennedy directly say what he thinks.
JFK Jr, had he lived, might have become more open on social media platforms, if he had continued with his magazine. I think of him as a private person, but the current technologies might have forced him to become more open and maybe he’d be hosting a podcast today.
Such a weird take. He didn’t use his platform to talk about Love Story – like he didn’t just decide “oh I’ll run for congress to talk smack about a TV show”. He was asked a question about the show by an interviewer. And he gave an answer which was effectively “it feels grubby to have stories told about my family, by people who never knew them”. That seems… like so reasonable!? I don’t understand why you would expect him to be okay with it?