FX’s new show “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” is sparking more conversations online than just the pair’s romantic relationship. The focus of the show has shifted a lot to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s character, with many people online comparing her to “Sex and the City’s” Carrie Bradshaw. However, the connection between the two goes further than most people know. 

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy is most known today for her generational fashion inspiration and chic look, but the show is giving an insight into her personal life before all of the media attention from her relationship with JFK Jr. The show’s version of her, with messy hair, partying and constant cigarette smoking garnered a lot of comparisons to Bradshaw, who became iconic for the same habits. Despite this, “Sex and the City’s” creator Candace Bushnell, also known as the “real” Carrie Bradshaw had a notable disliking towards Bessette during their time in 90s New York. 

Bushnell once wrote a satirical column titled “Spoiled in the City” very obviously based on Bessette, and she didn’t attempt to hide her loathing. The column’s central character, CKB, modeled by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, is married to Paul III, inspired by JFK Jr. 

The tagline of the column reads, “She married the world’s most eligible bachelor, and inherited way more than a nasty habit for popping pills. Is something rotten in Soho?” 

The three-page column is filled with constant digs at CKB’s unhealthy marriage, alleged substance abuse and selfishness. 

At the time of the column’s release, Bessette was already facing constant negative media attention and lack of privacy. She never personally commented on the column itself, but the piece is even difficult to get through as a reader. It is rumored that Bushnell’s hatred towards Bessette is due to Michael Bergin, a former model for Calvin Klein. Bergin had romantic ties to both Bushnell and Bessette, and is even a character in “Love Story.” 

So, is it likely that Carrie Bradshaw could be inspired by Bessette? While the two have some similarities, these are outweighed by their very notable differences. Although both have an affinity towards fashion and the party scene of the 90s, Bessette represents minimalism and Bradshaw is much more of a maximalist. Bradshaw was chaotic, messy and unapologetically herself. Bessette was private, reserved and preferred to be out of the public eye. Instagram user @310archival drew a comparison between the two fashions in a recent post, only furthering the contrast between the two.

If anything, the “Sex and the City” character that reads the most like Bessette is Natasha. Natasha worked in a high-level position at Ralph Lauren. Her minimalist and classy fashion represents a popular style of the 90s, but a lot of Bessette can be seen in Natasha. Bessette even worked in public relations for Calvin Klein, another famous designer of the era. 

The entire point of her character was to show the dichotomy between Bradshaw and herself. Bradshaw is in an on-and-off relationship with the character Mr. Big for the show’s entire run. During season two, he leaves New York to travel to Paris. When he returns, he is engaged to Natasha after telling Bradshaw repeatedly that he would never get married again. This causes Bradshaw to spiral into an era of self-doubt. This moment in the show breaks down the confident Bradshaw that viewers knew and reveals a moment of insecurity for the character.  

“It’s not him. It’s her. She’s shiny hair, style section, Vera Wang, and I’m the sex column they run next to ads for penile implants,” Bradshaw said in season three, episode three, of “Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman.” 

It’s important to note that Bushnell was not involved in the writing process at this point of the series. However, Bridget Moynahan, the actress that plays Natasha, revealed she drew inspiration from Bessette for her portrayal of the character. During an interview with TVLine she states that while auditioning for the role she looked to Bessette.

“I had a whole inspiration, Carolyn Bessette was my muse for that line,” Moynahan said. 

While both are iconic and have lived on through the world of fashion and beauty, the Bessettes and the Bradshaws of the world are completely different at their core. And they’re intended to be.