Love Story is the most talked-about show of the moment, with the star-studded series following the world famous romance and tragic deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
The show, executively produced by Ryan Murphy, stars Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr., with a wider ensemble of Naomi Watts (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), Grace Gummer (Caroline Kennedy) and Alessandro Nivola (Calvin Klein).
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However, it was Daryl Hannah’s portrayal in the show that caused controversy, with the Hollywood actress speaking out this week to criticise her on-screen depiction.
Hannah and JFK Jr. dated before his relationship with Bessette, with their romance featuring heavily in the Fx drama series.
And just two weeks after its release date, Hannah, now 65, has spoken out to criticise her dramatised portrayal, writing an op-ed for the New York Times this week.
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“I have generally chosen not to respond to media coverage of me. I have long believed that engaging with distortion often amplifies it,” Hannah wrote in the now viral op-ed. “But 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.”
“Lies live online forever,” Hannah wrote in her public essay, noting that “a dramatized portrayal can become, for millions of viewers, the definitive version of a real person’s life.”
“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?”
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“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,” she continued. “The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue. I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled 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. It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.
“I know that as an actress I will be in the public eye. I’ve endured a number of outrageous lies, crappy stories and unflattering characterizations before,” her op-ed continued. “I chose not to battle them but to focus on my work and respect my loved ones by keeping my private life private. But my silence should not be mistaken for agreement with lies. Apparently, my discretion makes me a target.”
Love Story is available to watch now on Disney Plus.