Teenagers are obsessed with 'Love Story' — and their moms' real memories from the '90s
“Love Story,” a new FX series that relives John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship, is bridging a generational gap.
Since it premiered on Feb. 12, the series has inspired a cultural sensation and caught the attention of a new generation that has become fascinated with the couple’s romance.
Some younger viewers are tuning in with their mothers to glean firsthand insight into what it was really like to follow the couple’s love story in real time.
As viewers continue to follow “Love Story” as it unfolds, NBC News Correspondent Anne Thompson sat down with a few girls who have bonded with their mothers while watching the series.
Phoebe Aston, an 11-year-old who has been tuning in with her 14-year-old sister Olivia Aston and their mother, explained why “Love Story” captivated her from the very first episode.
“I think the way their love story connects because at the beginning Carolyn was playing kind of hard to get. It really intrigued me to get more interested and find more about it,” Phoebe Aston said.
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, Paul Anthony Kennedy as John F. Kennedy Jr.
Before watching “Love Story,” some young viewers only had limited knowledge of Kennedy and Bessette’s popularity.
“I knew of him. I knew who he was. But I don’t think I knew much about the backstory of who JFK Jr. was, how he lived his life,” 14-year-old Sloan Corleto said.
“I’ve definitely looked up Carolyn Bessette. I think she was kind of an icon. And I’ve looked up a lot about their family and the history of the Kennedys cause of course, watching a show like that, you just want to know more,” she said.
John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in 1999. (Justin Ide/Boston Herald / Getty Images)
“She’s very enthusiastic about it. Of course, she lived through the time. And we started watching it together, and we really loved it. It’s really nice,” she said. “She’ll fill me in on things that I don’t understand and she’ll talk about what it was like to live during that time period.”
“I remember the first episode I watched with my mom and my sister. I immediately went on my phone and searched them and I was like, ‘Oh, Mom, they look so similar to the actors.’ And I was watching YouTube videos and I was so intrigued,” she said.
Sloan Corleto’s mother, Courtney Corleto, has relished in the opportunity to share memories with her daughter while enjoying the series together.
“You’d have friends tell stories like, ‘Oh, I was walking in Central Park and I saw him playing football with friends.’ So, yeah, you always kind of knew of them,” she said.
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette, Paul Anthony Kennedy as John F. Kennedy Jr.
Sloan Corleto has also been intrigued by Bessette’s sense of style while watching the series and even purchased a tortoiseshell headband to channel her look.
While reflecting on the couple’s level of celebrity, Sloane Corleto said she can't find a modern equivalent.
“I’m not quite sure if anybody today can meet his kind of level,” she said.
Kennedy and Bessette died in a plane crash in 1999 along with her sister Lauren Bessette. While watching the series, Courtney Corleto can’t help but think about what could have been.
“I think they were so young and there was so much promise. And what were they to become? What would their family look like? What were they going to achieve? And I just think that a life cut so short and so bright, I think it really was tragic,” she said.
