The fifth episode of “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy,” titled “Battery Park,” delves into two pivotal moments in the couple’s romantic history: their engagement and a very public dispute that occurred in a New York City park. Known for their desire for privacy, Kennedy and Bessette kept the details of their engagement largely shielded from media attention, even denying its occurrence until their wedding day. However, insights from those close to them have gradually revealed facets of this secretive relationship.
The charming connection between Kennedy and Bessette started in 1992 through Calvin Klein. Bessette, who had a flair for fashion, assisted Kennedy when he visited the showroom for a fitting. It wasn’t until Spring 1994, after Kennedy ended his tumultuous relationship with actress Daryl Hannah, that their romance truly began to blossom. Carole Radziwill, the widow of Kennedy’s cousin, shared in the 2019 A&E documentary “JFK Jr.: The Final Year” that she first met Bessette during a Memorial Day weekend at a summer house shared with Kennedy and her late husband, highlighting the quiet development of their relationship.
Fast forward to the Fourth of July weekend in 1995 on Martha’s Vineyard, when Kennedy chose a picturesque setting to propose. Echoing the romantic scene presented in “Love Story,” RoseMarie Terenzio, Kennedy’s former assistant, recounted the moment. On a fishing boat, Kennedy articulated his sentiments about partnership, expressing a desire for Bessette to be his companion in all aspects of life.
For the engagement ring, Kennedy bestowed upon Bessette a striking diamond and sapphire eternity band, reminiscent of one once worn by his mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. In her writings, Radziwill noted that Bessette regarded the ring as “a copy of a ring [John’s] mother wore.” The original piece, a diamond and emerald eternity band, holds its own legacy and is believed to have been a gift from a long-time friend of Onassis, famed diamond dealer Maurice Tempelsman.
The glimpse into the intimate details of Kennedy and Bessette’s relationship offers a more nuanced view of their love story, illustrating both the beauty of their bond and the complexity that accompanied life in the public eye.