Daryl Hannah Slams ‘Love Story’ in Scathing New York Times Essay
Actress Daryl Hannah is not holding back when it comes to “Love Story.” In a fiery essay published Friday in the New York Times, she criticized the Ryan Murphy-produced series for its portrayal of her romance with John F. Kennedy Jr., which predates his relationship with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
In the show, Dree Hemingway portrays Hannah.
Daryl Hannah (pictured with John F. Kennedy Jr.) blasts Ryan Murphy’s ‘Love Story’ in revealing New York Times essay
In “Love Story,” Dree Hemingway portrays Daryl Hannah.
The 65-year-old actress opened her New York Times essay by noting, “I have long believed that engaging with distortion often amplifies it.”
Hannah went on to criticize the series, which dramatizes John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, saying, “A recent tragedy-exploiting television series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette features a character using my name and presents her as me. The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.”
She emphasized that the show — starring Paul Anthony Kelly as Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette — “isn’t a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John.”
In her essay, Daryl Hannah said the series isn’t “a remotely accurate representation” of her life or her romance with John F. Kennedy Jr., who is played by Paul Anthony Kelly, while Hannah is portrayed by Dree Hemingway.
“It’s appalling that I even have to defend myself against a television show,” Daryl Hannah (seen above at the Fighting Oligarchy rally in April 2025) wrote in her New York Times essay.
She accused the series of spreading “textbook misogyny” by portraying her as a rival to John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s relationship. “The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue,” Hannah added.
The actress called out specific scenes she insists are inaccurate:
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“I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties.”
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“I have never pressured anyone into marriage.”
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“I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial.”
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“I have never planted any story in the press.”
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“I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s.”
Hannah reiterated that the show’s portrayal of her personality is full of “embellishments” and entirely “false.”
Daryl Hannah also revealed she’s received “hostile and threatening messages” from fans of the show, which stars Paul Anthony Kelly and Dree Hemingway (pictured above)
Later in her New York Times essay, Daryl Hannah (pictured above with John F. Kennedy Jr. at the 1994 NBA Finals) criticized the producers of “Love Story” for disregarding the Kennedy family’s privacy.Since the show’s February 12 premiere, Hannah said she has “received many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual.”
“My silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies,” she added, explaining that she usually avoids commenting on public perception. “Apparently, my discretion makes me a target.”
The Splash star also emphasized that the Kennedys are “notoriously private” and said she has “always honored their right to privacy,” in contrast to the series’ creators.
“Know that most (if not all) of those claiming to have any intimate knowledge of our personal lives are self-serving sensationalists trading in gossip, innuendo and speculation,” Hannah concluded.
The former couple (pictured boarding a plane to Hong Kong) ended their relationship following the death of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s mother, Jackie Onassis, in 1994.
Daryl Hannah and Kennedy Jr. had an on-again, off-again romance from 1988 to 1994. Their breakup was influenced not only by Jackie Onassis’ passing but also by the death of Hannah’s dog. Kennedy Jr. had been walking the dog in Central Park when it got loose and was struck by a car.
According to the book JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography, Kennedy Jr. was “deeply resentful” that Hannah asked him to attend her dog’s funeral in Los Angeles while his mother was battling cancer in New York.
After their breakup, John F. Kennedy Jr. began dating Carolyn Bessette, marrying her in 1996. Tragically, the couple and Bessette’s sister, Lauren Bessette, died in a 1999 plane crash.
Meanwhile, Daryl Hannah has been married to rocker Neil Young since 2018.
“Love Story” airs weekly on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FX and Fridays on Hulu.
