Dree Hemingway, who plays a young Daryl Hannah in FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, has spoken out after Hannah condemned the series. At the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty, Hemingway told Entertainment Tonight: “I respect her. It’s really, it’s a sensitive thing to play a real person. I love her.”
Hannah’s Strong Words
Earlier this month, Hannah published an essay in The New York Times calling the show a “tragedy-exploiting television series.” She criticized her depiction as “irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate,” insisting it was “not even a remotely accurate representation” of her life or relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr. Hannah added that the portrayal had led to hostile messages from viewers who believed it was factual.
Hemingway’s Perspective
Hemingway, the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, emphasized that the series is a dramatization. “We are not exactly portraying her or how something went down. There’s a fiction involved in all of this,” she explained. She previously revealed she wrote Hannah a letter before filming, expressing admiration and gratitude, though she never received a response.
The Series’ Success
Despite the controversy, Love Story has broken streaming records for Hulu. The anthology’s first installment focuses on the whirlwind romance between Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr., who tragically died in a plane crash in 1999. Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly star as the central couple, while Hemingway portrays Hannah during her on-off relationship with Kennedy.
Balancing Art and Reality
Hemingway acknowledged the difficulty of dramatizing real lives. “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,” she said. While Hannah has rejected the portrayal, Hemingway remains honored to be part of Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed project.
