The True Story Behind JFK. Jr and Carolyn Bessette's Infamous Fight in a New York City Park

Jordana ComiterFri, February 27, 2026 at 2:41 PM UTC

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John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in New York in February 1996 ; Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Anthony Kennedy as John F. Kennedy Jr. in 'Love Story'Credit: Ken Katz/startraksphoto.com; Eric Liebowitz/FX -

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette chronicles the real-life romance between the titular characters

Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon portray JFK Jr. and Bessette

Episode 5 of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette includes a massive fight in a New York park

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette's fifth episode depicts a massive fight in a New York City park, but did it actually happen in real life?

The first few episodes of the FX show feature John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) as he meets and falls for Calvin Klein associate Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon). But, dating a political heir doesn't come without its challenges, as there's a whole world of public scrutiny that Bessette must navigate, despite her strong desire to keep their relationship private.

These tensions come to a head in episode 5, titled "Battery Park," which culminates in an explosive fight in a park.

So, did JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette actually get into a public fight in a N.Y.C. park? Here's everything to know about the real-life incident.

Did JFK Jr. and Bessette really get into a public fight in a N.Y.C. park?

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in New York in February 1996.Credit: Ken Katz/startraksphoto.com

Much like in the show, JFK Jr. and Bessette did have a public fight that escalated in a N.Y.C. park.

In February 1996, the couple got into a fight while walking their dog in Washington Square Park, per the 2024 book JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography by PEOPLE editor-at-large Liz McNeil and JFK Jr.’s former assistant RoseMarie Terenzio.

A photographer and videographer captured the confrontation, which was later published in the New York Daily News. The footage shows the pair shouting at each other, with Bessette even pushing JFK Jr. at one point.

The New York Daily News reported at the time that JFK Jr. appeared to rip an engagement ring off of Bessette's finger. She then jumped on his back, and although their shouting briefly subsided, it escalated again as they headed back home.

During a later appearance on the Howard Stern Show, JFK Jr. called the incident "a silly argument."

What was JFK Jr. and Bessette's real-life fight in the park about?

Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette in 'Love Story'Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX

In the series, their fight begins after a tense night in which JFK Jr. appeared at a national press conference and denied having proposed to Bessette to turn the public narratives back to his magazine launch.

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When Bessette is visibly upset the next day and asks for space, JFK Jr. tells her that she "can't handle a partner who's emotionally mature enough" to talk to her because she needs an "excuse to escape."

They throw verbal daggers at each other over their so-called abandonment issues, which leads to a blowout over the public nature of their relationship, JFK Jr.'s proposal and Bessette's inability to make a decision about it. So, he demands his mother Jackie Kennedy's ring back.

In real life, however, the fight "stemmed from Carolyn’s ongoing complaint that John let people walk all over him," JFK Jr.'s friend Steven M. Gillon wrote in his 2019 biography America’s Reluctant Prince.

Terenzio echoed that in JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, saying that the fight was centered around "him being taken advantage of by his friends."

The couple had recently gone to the wedding of one of JFK Jr.'s friends from Brown University, and were sat at the first table, next to The New York Times reporter writing the Vows column on the event.

Per the book, John was "uncomfortable with that," and Bessette thought it was a "bulls--- thing to do to your friend."

What happened after JFK Jr. and Bessette's public fight?

Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette.Credit: FX

In the show, their fight in the park leads to a conversation on a sidewalk about what marriage would look like, including them setting the expectation that neither wants to ever get divorced.

The fifth episode ends with Bessette asking for the ring back and coming to the conclusion that she does want to marry him.

JFK Jr. and Bessette went on to tie the knot on Sept. 21, 1996. Though they were reportedly having marital struggles, they were still together when they died in a tragic plane crash in July 1999.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”