As much as "Love Story" may have dramatized, even sometimes altered, the truth, there's no avoidinghow it all ended.
The wildly popular FX show, which centered onthe romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, was always going to end with their tragic plane crash. The 9-episode miniseries, starringPaul Anthony KellyandSarah Pidgeon, concluded Thursday, March 26, with the fatal incident, reopening a highly-televised wound for one of themost storied families in American history.
On July 16, 1999, Kennedy Jr. was piloting a single-engine plane carrying Bessette and her older sister, Lauren. The pair took off from New Jersey, headed for the Kennedy residence in Hyannis Port for a family wedding. The three perished when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
FX's "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" (Thursdays, 9 ET/PT on FX and streaming on Hulu) depicts the romance of the pair, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1999. Let's take a closer look at the actors and the real-life people they're portraying." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr.Model turned actor Paul Anthony Kelly told USA TODAY that some days it took three hours to get into character. "It would be an extra two hours for coverup (of his tattoos) and then an hour for hair and makeup," Kelly said. That perfectly coiffed Kennedy hairdo was achieved with "a little bit of water and a hairdryer and a lot of brush work."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette Sarah Pidgeon, a natural brunette, estimates she spent 22 hours in the hair salon over two days to lighten her locks within the realm of Bessette-blond. The stories written about the couple and Bessette in particular were "so misogynistic," Pidgeon tells USA TODAY. "There was this narrative that they wanted to stick to, generally, and this characterization of her that I've just found couldn't be further from the woman that I came to know."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Naomi Watts told "Entertainment Tonight" the production "did a bunch of tests" to find the right look, "because I really look nothing like her," the actress admitted. "The coloring is all wrong, and she has a different nose, and we certainly played around with prosthetics. And then we weren't improving. We were just making me look more different. So we sort of scrapped it." Watts donned a wig for the role, brown contact lenses and makeup to close the age gap." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Dree Hemingway as Daryl Hannah Dree Hemingway, the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, portrays "Splash" star Daryl Hannah in the limited series. In real life, JFK Jr. and Hannah had an on and off relationship for years, but broke up for good in 1994, according to reports." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Grace Gummer as Caroline KennedyGrace Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep and sculptor Don Gummer, plays Caroline Kennedy, John Jr.'s older sister, born three years before his arrival. After Caroline's father's assassination in 1963, her mother's death following a cancer diagnosis in 1994, and John Jr.'s death in 1999, Caroline is the only surviving member of their immediate family." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Ben Shenkman as Edwin Schlossberg Ben Shenkman ("Royal Pains," "Billions") plays Caroline Kennedy's husband Edwin Schlossberg. The couple wed in 1986 and had three children, Rose (1988), Tatiana (1990), and Jack (1993). Tatiana died of acute myeloid leukemia in December 2025." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein Alessandro Nivola portrays American fashion designer Calvin Klein, whose eponymous label was where Carolyn Bessette worked and where she met John F. Kennedy Jr." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Noah Fearnley as Michael Bergin Michael Bergin, a Calvin Klein model who acted on "Baywatch," engaged in "a casual romance" with Carolyn Bessette in 1992, Elizabeth Beller writes in "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," upon which FX's limited series is based. "A former hotel doorman at the Paramount, Bergin would later, in a tell-all book, 'The Other Man,' claim he was sexually involved with Carolyn from the fall of '92 until her death.
"There's no doubt Carolyn befriended Bergin, and, true to form, helped him with his career," Beller continues. "Carolyn and Michael had an on-off relationship, much more off than on. His later account of it is considered questionable by many of Carolyn's friends."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
'Love Story' cast photos compared to real-life people including JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette
FX's "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" (Thursdays, 9 ET/PT on FX and streaming on Hulu) depicts the romance of the pair, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1999. Let's take a closer look at the actors and the real-life people they're portraying.
'Love Story' finale —What is the 'Kennedy Curse'?
In the episode, viewers watch as Bessette and Kennedy battle through tumult and dysfunction in their marriage. In couples therapy, the two clash over the media's intrusion into their union, an overarching theme for the show. "America's Prince" consults his sister, Caroline Kennedy, who pushes him to set a more equal tone in their partnership.
After each side of the famed couple consults with their sisters, they begin to make amends, deciding to attend Rory Kennedy's wedding, a choice that will ultimately prove fatal. In the final scenes, audiences watch as the Kennedy clan learns of yet another young death in their family.
"He spent his life bound to that little boy, desperate to free himself from a tragedy he couldn't even remember. All he wanted was to simply be," Caroline says in one scene, referring to the death of Kennedy's father, the senior John F. Kennedy. "All he'll be remembered for is what he could have become." Eventually, the ashes of both Bessette sisters and Kennedy are scattered at sea.
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Social media reacts to 'Love Story' finale
On social media, viewers poured out their grief for the couple they became attached to over the course of the show's airing.
Despite the foregone conclusion, clearly present at the genesis of the program, users on Xreacted with heartbreak. "THEIR LOVE IS ETERNAL HOLD MEEE," one user wrote,while another added, "It's so sad they didn't get to enjoy their marriage. The constant fights, and they didn't even have time to have kids. But one thing that mattered is that their love for each other was one of a kind."
For some,the program– piloted bycontroversial director Ryan Murphy– has brought to life a love story buried in tabloid fodder and tragedy. But for others, particularly those depicted in the show, "Love Story" has seemed more like a gratuitous venture into a romance already defined by fictitious speculation.
What happened when JFK Jr.,Carolyn Bessette died? Timeline of the day of plane crash
'Love Story' creators talk tragic ending
Series creator Connor Hines told USA TODAY in February that he aimed, "in spite of the obvious tragedy, to still provide people with a sense of hope and that as opposed to fixating on what happened, use the finale as more of an opportunity to honor and to celebrate their legacy more than anything else."
Similarly, executive producer Nina Jacobson said she believes the team exercised prudence.
"We know the outcome," she told USA TODAY, "and it wasn't our goal at all to luxuriate in the tragedy of it in that regard, or to be excessive or indulgent in any way, on that front. It's much more restrained."
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Love Story' always ended in tragedy. Viewers are upset anyway.