This Member of the Kennedy Family Gave Carolyn Bessette a Blunt Pep Talk Before Her Wedding to JFK Jr
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When you think about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s epic love story, you can’t leave out the more turbulent side of their romance. Friends and insiders have painted a vivid picture of the two’s romance over the years, especially after their tragic and sudden deaths in July 1999.
But one of their most public fights was back in Feb 1996, just nine months before their wedding, when video caught them in a heated argument at Washington Square Park, per EOnline. According to J. Randy Taraborrelli’s book The Kennedy Heirs, one member of the Kennedy family took it upon themselves to have a rather blunt conversation with Bessette before the nuptials, specifically about what it takes to be a Kennedy wife.
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The alleged family member was Ethel Kennedy, who was JFK Jr.’s aunt, who understood what it was like to be married to such a high-profile man. However, she moreso took this “pep talk” to give Bessette a rather gloomy, harsh reality check about life in the public eye.
“I went through that with Bobby at first,” Ethel said. “Then I finally got it that the only way to survive in this family is to look in the mirror in the morning every single day and say, ‘You know what? I am enough.’ Plain and simple. That’s it. ‘I am enough.’ Eventually, it sinks in that, yes, you are enough, and that no one can ever take that away from you. Not even the Kennedys.”
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She allegedly added, “Carolyn, I will tell you what I’ve told my daughters and my daughters-in-law. Be there for your husbands, but do not let them influence you into bad behavior. They will bait you. They always do. I’ve seen it for years. But you can’t take the bait. You must be stronger than that.”
She emphasized the recent incident of them fighting in public, saying, “never” fight in public. “These men are hotheads. Don’t let them goad you into acting improperly in front of the whole world.”
Ethel did end the talk on a high note, commenting on Bessette’s character. “I think you’re more powerful than any of the other women John has dated. You know why? Because you’re smart, and because you have heart. So don’t let John or those reporters or photographers or anyone else change who you are in here,” Ethel said, tapping her chest. “Do you understand?”
Nine months later, JFK Jr. and Bessette married on Sept. 21, 1996, in a secret wedding. They sadly died, along with Bessette’s sister Lauren in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.
‘The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation – A Legacy of Tragedy and Triumph’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli
Price: $29.99 $18.27, originally $29.99
Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History.
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