Although FX’s “Love Story” has been a runaway success, following the fairytale romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Daryl Hannah was not happy with her portrayal in the show.
Hannah, who had an on-again, off-again relationship with John F. Kennedy, Jr., claimed the way she was portrayed in the show was was “not even a remotely accurate representation of my life.” However, “Love Story” producers have defended their choices, saying the portrayal was done with “empathy and love.”
Producer Says “This Was John And Carolyn’s Story”
GettyProducers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson spoke to Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast about Hannah’s comments.
“You know, from the beginning of this, this was going to be John and Carolyn’s story,” Simpson explained. “We put a lot of research and rigor into all the people and moments in the series that ultimately shaped their relationship.”
“Anytime you’re dealing with characters that are based on real people, there are big emotions and sensibilities,” he said. “I think it’s tough for anybody to see themselves represented.”
“For all of us in the show, we did approach every character with empathy and love,” Simpson continued. “We love all our characters. So, obviously it’s difficult for some people to see themselves represented. We know this is a real tragedy that affected real people. But our intent was to celebrate the people around John and Carolyn.”
Jacobson praised the cast, calling them “an embarrassment of riches.”
“It’s all of the things that you would hope for when it all comes together and you see people doing incredible work together,” she said.
Daryl Hannah Called Her Portrayal “False”
GettyIn an essay for The New York Times, Hannah detailed the issues she had with her onscreen representation.
“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 wrote.
“The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue,” she claimed, stating she has “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.”
“It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show,” Hannah wrote, saying that since the show has aired, she has received “many hostile and even threatening messages from viewers who seem to believe the portrayal is factual.”
Actress Who Portrayed Hannah Wrote To The Star
GettyDree Hemingway, who plays Hannah in the series, says that she wrote to the “Wall Street” star but never received a reply.
In an interview with Nylon Magazine, Hemingway said the note was “really just a love note to her saying how much I admired her, how much I’ve admired her as an actress and a woman, prior to even being cast as Daryl.”
However, her letter didn’t receive a reply. “I haven’t heard back from her, but that’s OK. It was not the expectation. It was more so just like ‘I really appreciate you. I admire you as a person, a philanthropist, an actress.'”
“We are not exactly portraying her or how something went down. There’s a fiction involved in all of this,” Hemingway said. “With any person that you loved and you were dating, I’m sure it’s a hard thing. So, I think that it’s nice to respect that and her.”
