The perpetually messy TV showrunner Ryan Murphy has stirred up yet another controversy, this time for a series that hasn’t even been released yet.
This most recent hullabaloo centres around the upcoming debut season of American Love Story, an entry into Murphy’s seemingly endless anthology universe that will dramatise the much-publicised romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
The son of former president JFK and the fashion publicist were the stuff of pure tabloid fodder during their years-long whirlwind romance in the 90s, but given Murphy’s track record for recreating scandals, not everyone is so taken by the idea of American Love Story.
One such person is JFK Jr.’s real-life nephew Jack Schlossberg, who offered his thoughts on the upcoming series in response to the casting announcements shared on Murphy’s official Instagram page.
“HEY RYAN — admiration for John is great but maybe consider DONATING PROFITS TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY”, Schlossberg wrote in reference to his grandfather’s presidential library, which is located in Boston.
“Thanks,” Schlossberg added (per TMZ).
Perhaps preempting the kind of backlash his shows have become a magnet for, Murphy beat Schlossberg to the punch with his reply.
“I absolutely will,” Murphy wrote, squashing the beef before it even had a chance to become medium-rare.
With that crisis averted (for now), production on the series is moving full steam ahead, with newcomer star Paul Kelly cast as JFK Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon set to portray Bessette.
With the show slated for release next February, there’s ample time for the Murphy production to cause all kinds of commotion, though he’s no stranger to getting in on the mess himself.
Last year, Murphy engaged in a spat with Erik and Lyle Menendez, the real-life subjects of his Netflix drama Monsters, over what they called the “blatant lies” of the series.
Before that, Murphy’s dramatisation of Jeffrey Dahmer was likewise met with allegations of exploitation by the real-life victims of the notorious serial killer.
For what it’s worth, Schlossberg is also no stranger to causing a ruckus, having put his cousin and the current U.S. Health Secretary, RJK Jr., on blast in an X post earlier this year.
So buckle up, folks, because things might just get a little messy.
Lead image: Getty Images
