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Actor Daryl Hannah has slammed her portrayal in FX’s Love Story: Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Junior, as “misogynistic”, “false” and “sensationalistic”.
“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 65-year-old Splash and Kill Bill actor wrote in a New York Times op-ed, published on Saturday.
Hannah and Kennedy met in the 1980s and dated on and off for more than five years before parting ways in 1994.
In Love Story, Hannah is portrayed by American actor Dree Hemingway, the great-granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway. The series depicts her as the romantic foil to Bessette – disliked by the Kennedy family, preoccupied with fame and obsessed with partying.
“I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fuelled 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,” Hannah writes of her depiction.
“Popular culture has long elevated certain women by portraying others as rivals, obstacles or villains. Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?”
The series, from famed producer and showrunner Ryan Murphy, pitches itself as a “fictionalised drama” and has broken records as the most-watched limited series ever on platforms Hulu and Disney+.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Brad Simpson said they did not consult with any members of the Kennedys or any real-life characters they depicted, but that the show was made with “sincerity” and “love and kindness”.
The actor goes on to highlight her work in environmental activism and documentary filmmaking over the past few decades, and how the show damaged her reputation.
“In the weeks since the series aired, I have received many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual. When entertainment borrows a real person’s name, it can permanently impact her reputation,” she says.
Shortly after the piece’s publication, Hannah created a TikTok account, sharing a clip of herself walking in the snow, along with a link to the story.
“Hi. I’m Daryl Hannah. I’m a real person. I’m not that eager to be part of today’s cultural conversation – we all know it’s been getting more and more hateful and petty every day, but I hear there’s been a lot of talk. And I have some thoughts,” she says in the video.
Hannah is not the only real-life person in the Kennedy family’s orbit to critique the series.
Jack Schlossberg, nephew of JFK Jr., described the series as “grotesque” and “capital F for fiction” in an interview last week.
Showrunner Ryan told Variety, in response to the critique: “As a writer, it’s healthier and more effective to have some distance from the subject matter.”
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