American Love Story: The Fight

Paul Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon were photographed today on the New York set of Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story in their respective roles as John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette. The scene they were filming is infamous. Those of us who were/are still obsessed with John and Carolyn know it well. And probably have conflicting feelings about it? I know I do, and not just with my grown-up 2025 perspective but even back then because it was an extremely personal moment between them, an emotionally charged argument captured by the paparazzi, during which they were seen screaming at each other and crying and hugging and yelling, crying, and hugging some more. 

This wasn’t just video assumption – nobody needed to assume, it was obvious what was happening, there was no exaggerating the explosiveness of this argument. And, probably, we’ve all had fights like this with a lover at some point in our lives. But of course we are not all John and Carolyn, and we are not all followed by the paps in New York City, having to manage romantic turmoil along with invasion of privacy. Honestly, it felt intrusive to me, back then, when the photos and the videos were published. But also, I couldn’t look away. I looked at them so much they’re seared into my brain. It was SO out in the open and SO dramatic, like a scene from a movie, because they were just so f-cking beautiful together… which of course was part of the appeal, on top of his name and her mystique. But they weren’t movie actors, they were real people under the hugest, most oppressive spotlight, who were crashing out together on camera. And I think we all knew how unfair it was for them, but we couldn’t stop watching! 

Seeing these photos of the actual actors playing John and Carolyn and reenacting one of the most notorious publicly consumed moments of their relationship, I feel guilty all over again but at the same time, f------ck, there it is, I can’t deny it, even at the risk of criticism, it’s that old curiosity, and I know I’m not the only one. The saddest part of it is that this collective curiosity doomed them and has survived longer than they did. 

Isn’t that why they’re doing this series? And isn’t that why there’s been so much reaction to the series, months ahead of its premiere? One way to do right by John and Carolyn now is to avoid what will inevitably be a sensationalised version of their already sensationalised romance and eventual death (it’s Ryan Murphy, after all). Who among us is strong enough for that? 

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