The Tragic Kennedy Bride

The Tragic Kennedy Bride

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was a 1990s fashion icon who married into one of America’s most famous families when she tied the knot with John F. Kennedy Jr. Tragically, she couldn’t escape the Kennedy family curse. After Carolyn and JFK Jr.’s plane was discovered at the bottom of the ocean, an investigation quickly ensued, and the results were utterly heartbreaking. We’ll get more into that story later on. Carolyn Jean Bessette came into the world in January of 1966 in White Plains, New York. She was the youngest of three girls born to William Joseph and Anne Marie. As she was growing up, it was quite clear that she was destined for something special. Given her looks and effortless grace, Carolyn believed that she would have been a shoe-in for a modeling career. But even after hiring a professional photographer and appearing on the cover of her university’s calendar, she failed to make any real headway. But there was no denying her eye for design. It was then that Carolyn decided to take a big risk by starting at the bottom and working her way up, trusting in the process. She started her career working as a lowly saleswoman for Calvin Klein at the Chestnut Hill Mall, but it didn’t take her long to prove that she was as stylish as she was shrewd. Within a few short years, she had clawed her way to the top, becoming the director of publicity for Calvin Klein in Manhattan. At this point, it was clear that Carolyn Jean Bessette was quickly becoming something of an IT girl. According to Brian Steel, an old friend of John F. Kennedy Jr., she was something of a woman about town prior to meeting her future husband.

He said that she was a club girl and she dated a lot of people. Caroline certainly rubbed shoulders with the right people and knew how to have fun. Exactly how she met her future husband is something of a mystery. The best sources claim that she met the son of the 35th president of the United States at Calvin Klein. All we know for sure is that their paths first crossed in 1992. And we only know that because of the drama that ensued. When the two of them saw each other, there was an undeniable connection and an obvious pattern. JFK Jr. was at the time dating the actress Daryl Hannah. It’s not entirely clear what transpired over the next few years, but the chance encounter changed Caroline’s life forever. In the biography, Once Upon a Time, the captivating life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, some scandalous details came to light. According to the book, the young couple started their relationship almost immediately after they first met. Publicly, JFK Jr. maintained his relationship with Hannah until 1994. But Carolyn was almost certainly the reason for the breakup. According to some accounts, the fashion icon was a manipulative, gold-digging social climber. According to others, she had simply fallen in love with the wrong man. Either way, she knew what she wanted. Hot off the heels of his breakup from Hannah in 1994, Carolyn expected JFK Jr. to commit to her fully. The couple dated on and off for years. And even though they kept coming back to each other, it wasn’t a perfect relationship by any means. Apparently, Carolyn wanted JFK Jr. to introduce her to his mother, the glamorous and iconic Jackie Kennedy. Sadly, his mother passed away in May of 1994 before Caroline had the chance to finally meet her. This would have been devastating for the young couple, especially considering how much Jackie’s approval would have meant for their relationship. And this was not the only bump in the road. With fame and fortune comes a whole lot of terror. And Carolyn would soon discover the dark consequences of dating American royalty. When Carolyn and JFK Jr. began dating, she could not have anticipated the media storm that followed. In no small part because of her looks and style, the paparazzi couldn’t get enough of her and followed her everywhere. The tabloids covered everything the couple did from where they ate and shopped to speculation about their future. Suffice to say, it became overwhelming and at times very disturbing. The fashionista moved into her boyfriend’s Tribeca apartment in mid-1995.

But if she thought that the upscale loft could provide her with some privacy, she was sorely mistaken. In an effort to get a snapshot of Carolyn in her latest casual chic threads or holding hands with her famous partner, paparazzi often camped right outside their door. And it only got worse from there. Before the calendar flipped on the year 1995, Carolyn and JFK Jr. stunned the world with an announcement. The already famous couple became engaged and they immediately started planning their wedding. But it wasn’t exactly the fairy tale wedding that everyone expected. Given the media attention, the Bessette-Kennedy wedding had the potential to be the biggest wedding of the century. But the young couple bucked expectations with a secret ceremony. Instead of a glitzy, high-profile affair, they tied the knot in a low-key ceremony on September 21st, 1996. Even though they went to lots of effort to keep the event low-key, it was still all that anyone could talk about. To get away from the prying eyes of the media, they had to find a remote location for their nuptials. While everyone expected them to follow tradition by getting married at the Kennedy compound, they instead opted for a tiny wooden chapel on the island of Cumberland in Georgia. It was exactly the kind of casual chic setting that would make Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy a fashion icon. But behind all the glitz and glamour, there was a dark cloud following the couple. And it was only going to get worse. After the ceremony, Carolyn Jean Bessette, now Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, was officially part of the Kennedy family and its curse. Carolyn might have managed to keep the paparazzi away from her wedding ceremony, but there was nothing she could do after that. Once she officially hyphenated her name to Bessette-Kennedy, the media scrutiny over her every move only intensified. In fact, it was borderline stalking. The newlyweds honeymooned in Turkey, thinking that they would return to a peaceful married life. But those hopes went out the window very fast. When Carolyn and her husband returned home only to find a gaggle of reporters eagerly waiting at their front door, she was justifiably horrified. This moment was truly her last straw. And after that, her life started to spiral downward. The group of aggressive reporters on her doorsteps stunned her into silence. Thankfully, JFK Jr. came to her rescue.

He addressed this exact incident to the media, saying, “Getting married is a big adjustment for us and for a private citizen like Carolyn, even more so. I ask you to give her all the privacy and room you can.” Apparently, that was not a lot of space, and she started to feel the effects physically. As an official member of the Kennedy family, Caroline felt that she was permanently on show. And she wasn’t wrong. Whether she was attending social events or visiting with her famous designer friends, the paparazzi were always watching. The constant media attention left her feeling disoriented. Little did anyone know, for Caroline, being permanently on display came with dark consequences. She had few friends that she could confide in without worrying about her words finding their way into the tabloids. One confession that she made to her friend Carol Radziwill revealed the depth of her struggles. She told her friend that she had to leave her apartment every morning at 7 just to avoid the paparazzi. But it’s not like she had anywhere to go. She also confided in another one of her friends, Jonathan Soroff, that despite her successful career working at Calvin Klein, she couldn’t get a job. Every time she applied somewhere, they’d accuse her of exploiting her fame, which would have been incredibly disappointing to hear. At this point, she was dangerously close to rock bottom. With the mounting media interest in Carolyn reaching epic proportions, the demure new Kennedy could only do one thing, retreat. In an effort to tamp down the aggressive behavior from paparazzi and media members, she refused every offer for an interview and even walked away from magazine covers. Thankfully, it seemed to work, at least for a time. But it wasn’t long before reports began to leak out that Caroline wasn’t as happy in her marriage as she seemed to be in her public appearances. According to the reports, the couple were experiencing serious marital troubles with the word divorce on the tip of their tongues. But Caroline had every reason to be unhappy. The reports of trouble in paradise weren’t just idle speculation. The two of them were facing serious differences. For one, Carolyn didn’t want to start a family, and her husband did. Moreover, she felt that JFK Jr. put his magazine George ahead of her. A matter made worse by her intense dislike for his publishing partner. While these rumors are shocking if they’re true, many in the couple’s inner circle found them a little hard to believe. Sadly, the truth would be buried at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. On July 16th, 1999, JFK Jr. took off from Essex County Airport, headed for Martha’s Vineyard to attend his cousin’s wedding at the Kennedy compound. As the evening faded to dark night, he was piloting the Piper Saratoga with Carolyn and her older sister Lauren as passengers.

What followed was the harrowing and horrific next chapter in the Kennedy family curse. In the early morning hours of July 17th, the Kennedy family sensed that something was not right. Carolyn and JFK Jr.’s Piper Saratoga had not yet landed. They reported the missing plane to the Coast Guard Air Station at Cape Cod and before daybreak the search and rescue operation was already underway. Despite the family history, the Kennedys remained optimistic. It didn’t take long for the media to catch wind of the missing plane and its A-list pilot passengers. In speaking to reporters, a member of the extended Kennedy family said, “He’ll find a way to get out. He possesses the will to survive. Enough will for all three of them.” But not everyone shared the family’s optimism. Search and rescue officials were not hopeful, particularly as they started to discover debris from what they assumed was a crashed plane. The Coast Guard lieutenant said, “When you find certain pieces of evidence, you have to be prepared for anything.” And by anything, he meant the worst. The search continued for days with President Bill Clinton mobilizing US Navy assets to help in the search. Then on July 21st, the world received the worst possible news. Search and rescue divers found the lifeless bodies of Carolyn, her sister, and JFK Jr. at the bottom of the ocean. The saddest part, they were less than 8 miles from the shore. An investigation ensued and the results were utterly heartbreaking. After the autopsies, officials confirmed that all three of the victims had perished on impact. Tragically, investigators believe that JFK Jr. lost control of the plane after becoming confused of his location in the dark, hazy sky. The National Transportation Safety Board officially ruled that the accident had been the result of pilot failure to maintain control which was the result of spatial disorientation. The news of their tragic and untimely demise shocked the world. The Bessette family along with the Kennedys planned memorial services. As per the family’s requests, cremation took place for the couple’s remains, making a tragic end to two of high society’s most beloved figures.