Beloved businesswoman Martha Stewart has built an expansive empire and made many strong connections throughout her career. In the 1990s, she even knew John F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late president.
In July 1999, JFK. Jr, his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and his sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, were on their way to a family wedding in Martha’s Vineyard. Tragically, the plane crashed into the ocean, with no survivors.
In a new television appearance, Martha Stewart bravely opened up about her final meeting with JFK Jr. Though he was confident in his abilities as a pilot, she gave him a stark warning ahead of the trip. Sadly, he did not heed her warning.
Martha Stewart Opens Up About Meeting With JFK Jr. Before the Accident
Martha Stewart recently appeared on “The Real Housewives of New York City” this week. During the season 16 premiere, she revealed that she met with John F. Kennedy Jr. just days before his ill-fated flight.
“I was with John John, this is JFK Jr., I was with him the Monday before the Friday when they died,” Stewart explains.
The entrepreneur explained that JFK Jr. wanted advice about his magazine, “George.” He called to pick Stewart’s brain about her own publication, “Martha Stewart Living Magazine.” Stewart readily agreed
Getty“We had a very nice dinner, and then at the end of the dinner, I said to him, ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ And he said, ‘Oh, we’re going to a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard, and I’m taking my wife and her sister,’” she remembered.
“And I said, ‘Well, who’s flying?’ He said, ‘I’m flying.’ I said, ‘You have a co-pilot, right?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t need a co-pilot.’ I’ve thought about that so many times that I told him to get a co-pilot. Oh, I feel sorry,” she lamented.
JFK Jr. Always Felt Proud of His Family’s Legacy
As the son of the beloved president, John F. Kennedy Jr. always knew everyone had high expectations for him. But in a 1995 interview with Larry King, he admitted he wouldn’t have it any other way.
King jokingly asked if JFK Jr. ever wished his name were “David,” which the magazine owner denied. He confessed he was quite content with his life. Being a Kennedy presented him with many opportunities, as well as some challenges.
“All in all, I feel very fortunate,” Kennedy shared.
On July 16, 1999, JFK Jr. and the Bessette sisters were on their way to Martha’s Vineyard to attend Rory Kennedy’s wedding. Rory is the youngest child of the late Robert F. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel.
FX went on to create a show about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, “Love Story.” Paul Anthony Kelly starred as the late entrepreneur, while Sarah Pidgeon played his wife. The creators opted not to consult the family while making the show, which caused controversy.
“When you do shows like this, if you talk to one person, one person can’t speak for the entire family,” executive producer Brad Simpson told PEOPLE. “Certainly, that’s true of the Kennedys — there are so many Kennedys. But also, you feel an obligation to their point of view, to something that they may say, that you find is contradicted some place else.”
