John F. Kennedy Jr.’s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, is standing up for his late uncle and his family legacy. In a passionate Instagram post shared on July 23, Schlossberg, 32, responded directly to Ryan Murphy’s recent comments on the This Is Gavin Newsom podcast, where the producer appeared to question Schlossberg’s right to criticize his upcoming series, American Love Story, focused on JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
Murphy’s Comments Spark Controversy
During the July 20 podcast appearance, Murphy — known for producing dramatized true-story series — acknowledged the backlash to his new show and suggested Schlossberg, without naming him, was too young to truly remember JFK Jr.
“I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don’t remember,” Murphy said. “The days of civil discourse are over… you either get into the muck or rise above it.”
Murphy insisted the series, which stars Paul Kelly as JFK Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette-Kennedy, was “very sympathetic” and based on the book Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller.
Schlossberg: “I Was the Ring Bearer at His Wedding”
In his Instagram response, Schlossberg made it clear that he does remember his uncle — and shared intimate details from his childhood that many didn’t know.
“My earliest memories are of John calling me Jackolatern and ‘the nudist,’ picking me up from school, his Pontiac convertible,” Schlossberg wrote.
“I remember being the ring bearer at his wedding and the day he died. I remember Wyclef singing at his funeral.”
Schlossberg went on to recall family stories passed down over the years, like a funny memory of JFK Jr. smashing his own car window with a borrowed golf club after locking his keys inside at an intersection.
Schlossberg Criticizes Profit Motive
But Schlossberg’s response wasn’t just about defending his memories — it was about calling out what he sees as exploitation of his uncle’s legacy.
“You’re making millions off of this… but you haven’t contributed any of your riches to the causes he championed, or the legacy of public service he represented,” he wrote of Murphy.
Schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy and grandson of President John F. Kennedy, has been vocal in the past about what he sees as inappropriate uses of his family’s story. In June, he criticized Murphy’s production for not consulting the Kennedy family and called it a “grotesque” attempt to profit off his uncle’s life and tragic death.
“Admiration for my Uncle John is great,” Schlossberg wrote in June. “What I don’t think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way.”
Murphy Defends the Series
Murphy, 59, defended the project as a “love story”, not a scandalous take. He said he was surprised by the backlash, especially since the show hasn’t aired and is based on a sympathetic portrait of JFK Jr.
“It’s a story about youth taken too soon and idealism, things that we need more in politics,” Murphy told Newsom.
“Then you have a member of the family speaking out and I took it with a grain of salt.”
Remembering JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy were married in 1996 and tragically died in a 1999 plane crash along with Carolyn’s sister, Lauren Bessette. Schlossberg was just six years old at the time, but his vivid recollections suggest a deep emotional connection with his uncle — one not erased by time.
Who’s Starring in American Love Story?
The cast for Murphy’s American Love Story includes:
Paul Kelly as JFK Jr.
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy
Grace Gummer as Bessette-Kennedy’s mother
Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette
Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein
The series has not yet received an official premiere date, but production is underway and has already stirred intense debate.
Jack Schlossberg’s post offers a powerful reminder that public figures leave behind loved ones — and those memories, even from childhood, can hold deep emotional meaning. His criticism raises questions not just about artistic freedom, but about where the line lies between admiration and exploitation.
As American Love Story moves forward, the conversation around how we remember icons like JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy will likely only grow louder.
