Actress Daryl Hannah is back in the public eye due to the new FX miniseries “Love Story,” which depicts her as a drug-using, somewhat irritating girlfriend of John F. Kennedy Jr.
In an op-ed in Friday’s New York Times, Hannah explains why this is not acceptable, celebrity or not.
“Not remotely accurate”
In a rare public statement, Hannah is taking a bold step to defend herself, her privacy and her past relationship with JFK Jr.
“The character ‘Daryl Hannah’ portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John,” the op-ed reads in part.
According to Hannah’s op-ed, even the producers say they have taken liberties with reality. Hannah cites a Gold Derby interview where a producer is quoted as saying, “Given how much we’re rooting for John and Carolyn, Daryl Hannah occupies a space where she’s an adversary to what you want narratively in the story.”
Hannah adds there’s a negative portrayal in pitting woman against woman, writing, “Isn’t it textbook misogyny to tear down one woman in order to build up another?”
CBS News New York reached out to the producers of “Love Story” for comment but we have not heard back.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Daryl Hannah sit court side during Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 12, 1994.
Amy Sancetta / AP
Why Hannah’s standing up for herself
“Love Story” chronicles the romance and ultimate tragedy of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette.
“A lot of people are being introduced to the story for the first time, and I think it’s fair if they’re assuming that the information they’re being presented is to be taken at face value,” said Julia Reinstein, a writer for the website The Cut. “It has [Hannah] coming off as, frankly, annoying, self-centered, even insensitive during some really difficult moments in JFK Jr.’s life, and based on what she’s saying, a lot of this is completely inaccurate.”
Hannah calls the actions and behaviors depicted by her character in the show “untrue.”
“I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial,” she writes. “I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s.”
“Celebrities are probably used to some level of inaccurate portrayals of their lives, but I think this takes it to another level, and it’s extremely damaging,” Reinstein said.
In recent years, Hannah, 65, has largely stayed out of acting and the limelight. She’s been married to musician Neil Young since 2018 and is active on a variety of social issues, which calls meaningful work that she loves.
“Like any career, doing good work requires an intact reputation. This is why I am choosing to stand up for myself now,” Hannah wrote in the op-ed.