Ryan Murphy Sparks Backlash With Dismissive Response To JFK's Grandson's Concern About JFK Jr. Series

Controversial producer and showrunner Ryan Murphy has landed in a real-life feud with Jack Schlossberg—grandson of President John F. Kennedy—after Schlossberg publicly criticized Murphy’s upcoming anthology series dramatizing the whirlwind, tabloid-fueled romance between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

First announced in August 2021, American Love Story (also referred to as Love Story) is part of Murphy’s expanding slate of provocative anthology series, dramatizing sensational American cultural and historical moments. This installment stars Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette-Kennedy and Paul Kelly as JFK Jr.

According to the show’s official synopsis:

“What started out as a beautiful union for the young couple, widely regarded as American royalty, began to fray under the stress of the relentless microscope and navel gaze of tabloid media."

"The pressures of their careers and rumored family discord ended with their tragic deaths when his private plane crashed into the ocean on a hazy summer night off the coast of Massachusetts.”

On June 19, Schlossberg responded with a video posted to his Instagram Stories, criticizing the production for failing to consult the Kennedy family, particularly given the sensitivity of its subject matter.

Filming himself driving on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Schlossberg stated:

“I hope those making this show about him take seriously what he stood for in his life, all that he achieved in it, and that they donate some of the profits [from] what they're making to the John F. Kennedy Library."

"For the record, I think admiration for my uncle John is great. What I don't think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way.”

Given the deeply personal nature of the story—JFK Jr. and Bessette-Kennedy, along with her sister Lauren, died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, near Martha's Vineyard—many assumed Murphy would have contacted the family to seek their input or blessing.

And this isn’t the first time Murphy has been accused of exploiting real tragedies without the consent of those affected.

In 2022, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story drew widespread criticism from the families of Dahmer’s victims. Eric Perry, a relative of victim Errol Lindsey, condemned the series for “retraumatizing [the families] all over again.”

In his statement, Perry said:

“I want people to understand this is not just a story or historical fact, these are real people’s lives. [Lindsey] was someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s father, someone’s friend that was ripped from [our] lives.”

Murphy’s team later claimed they had reached out to families during pre-production, but “not a single person responded.” A similar controversy surrounded "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," released on Netflix in September 2024.

The show faced backlash for suggesting an incestuous relationship between the brothers—something Erik Menendez firmly refuted in a statement posted to Lyle Menendez’s Facebook page:

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show."

"I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.”

When asked by Variety about the criticism, Murphy responded by questioning the outrage, arguing that the Netflix dramatization had, in fact, elevated the Menendez brothers’ profile:

“Basically, we did give them a platform.”

This pattern has not gone unnoticed.

So, how did Murphy respond to Schlossberg’s objections about American Love Story?

In a recent appearance on the This Is Gavin Newsom podcast, Murphy said he took Schlossberg’s criticism “with a grain of salt,” noting that the Kennedy family has historically never requested approval of various portrayals in media. He also defended the series, claiming it takes an “empathetic” approach to both Bessette-Kennedy and JFK Jr.

But what appeared to deeply offend Schlossberg was Murphy’s dismissive follow-up remark:

“That was an odd, dark moment for me… I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your, your, um, relative that you really don’t remember.”

You can watch Murphy’s discussion about the Kennedy backlash on Gavin Newsom’s podcast at the 9:25 mark:

  - YouTubeThis is Gavin Newsom/YouTube

In response, Schlossberg took to Instagram in a viral post demanding that Murphy, “SAY IT TO MY FACE,” as he called out the producer for dismissing his concerns and questioning his memories of his late uncle.

You can view the post here:

Fans were not feeling the love in this American Love Story:

  @jfk.kennedy_/Instagram

  @tlduryea/Instagram

  @the_twomrs/Instagram

  @lizadesmondovich/Instagram

  @katiefortune500/Instagram

  @obsessiveamanda/Instagram

  @erinpr30/Instagram

  @geedeeezeee/Instagram

  @julesnewc/Instagram

  @wlft11/Instagram

Murphy’s controversial American Love Story is set to release on Valentine’s Day in 2026 on the FX channel.