More than 25 years after his tragic death, John F. Kennedy Jr. remains one of the most captivating figures in American public life. He was handsome, charming, and born into political royalty — and when he died in a plane crash in 1999, he was fighting to save George, his glossy political magazine, and weighing a run for New York governor.

Ryan Murphy is producing American Love Story, a new series about John and his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy; some QAnon conspiracy theorists believe JFK Jr. is still alive; and CNN has just released the first episode of a three-part documentary series called American Prince: JFK. Jr. 

So why can’t we look away? Why are John and Carolyn still objects of fascination, speculation, and even conspiracy? What does our continued obsession say about us — and about American political culture?

Kara talks to Gary Ginsberg and Carole Radziwill, two close friends of John and Carolyn who are featured in American Prince. series. They both bring a lifetime of experience working in media, and reflect on the lives behind the legend, the media scrutiny that shaped their legacy, and how myth and reality collided in the story of John and Carolyn.

Ginsberg met John at Brown University, and he was the senior editor and legal counsel at George magazine. Ginsberg went on to become an assistant counsel to President Clinton and a senior executive at News Corp and Time Warner. He understands the inner workings of media and politics as well as anyone. He was also a consulting producer on American Prince and the author of First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents.

Radziwill is a former journalist. Her work at ABC News won a Peabody and multiple Emmys. She’s also a former cast member of the Real Housewives of New York and her late husband, Anthony Radziwill, was JFK Jr.’s cousin and best friend. Radziwill is the author of three books, including the bestselling memoir, What Remains, and she recently launched a newsletter on Substack, Life with Carole Radziwill. 

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