CNN Documentary Explores John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Romance with Daryl Hannah

NEW YORK, NY — Friends and family of John F. Kennedy Jr. opened up about his complex romance with actress Daryl Hannah in the new CNN documentary, American Prince. The first episode aired Saturday, August 9, revealing insights into their turbulent relationship that began in 1988.

“His mom did have concerns with Daryl Hannah, the movie star,” said Dr. Joseph Ponterotto, a biographer of Kennedy. “It was once said, to love John, you need the approval of his mom first.”

According to reports, John Jr. and Hannah met while on vacation in Saint Martin in the early 1980s. As their relationship progressed, Kennedy also started dating Carolyn Bessette during his intermittent breakups with Hannah.

Carole, a close friend, recounted that Hannah eventually decided to move back to New York to explore the possibility of rekindling their relationship. “I’m sure he loved Daryl. They stayed together for a couple of years until his mother got sick,” Carole stated.

Jackie Kennedy, John Jr.’s mother, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 1993. Despite a seemingly positive prognosis at first, her health deteriorated, leading to her death in May 1994. Simultaneously, John Jr.’s cousin Anthony Radziwill was battling cancer.

“This is John’s life. His mom dies, he’s mourning his mom but he’s afraid that if the people know that he’s broken up with Daryl, the media will focus on that, not on his mom’s life,” friend Steve Gillon explained in the documentary.

Carole reflected on John Jr.’s life after Jackie’s passing, noting how he felt freer to express himself. “John and Jackie, they were really close. He was heartbroken, but there was almost, I would say, an emancipation after Jackie’s death,” she said.

In March 1998, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Bessette attended a wedding in Miami, showcasing their affectionate relationship. John Jr. ended his turbulent romance with Hannah in the mid-1990s before marrying Bessette on Cumberland Island, Georgia, in September 1996.

Tragically, John Jr., Carolyn, and her sister Lauren Bessette lost their lives in a plane crash near Martha’s Vineyard in July 1999. Following her relationship with Kennedy, Hannah later married musician Neil Young in 2018.

American Prince will continue to air new episodes each Saturday through August 23.