Sarah Pidgeon knows the internet has opinions on her portrayal of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s wife—beloved fashion icon and all-around it-girl Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy—in American Love Story, and she’s finally breaking her silence. The rising star responded to the criticism during the I Know What You Did Last Summer premiere on July 14.
“I know how special Carolyn is to me and I understand how widely beloved she is, so this role comes with a lot of responsibility—and I’m not surprised that people have strong opinions about it,” she told Variety on the red carpet.
She added, “That’s what makes her such an interesting person. I mean, not only how she dressed, but the woman who worked at Calvin Klein and the person that JFK Jr. fell in love with. She’s a human being beyond just these pictures. She really resonates with a lot of people, and she certainly does with me.”
ICYMI, showrunner Ryan Murphy shared first-look images of Sarah and her co-star, Paul Kelly, on Instagram in June and was met with backlash for CBK’s hair and outfit choices.
“This wardrobing...during PRIDE?! Violent,” former Vogue fashion editor and stylist, Gabriella Karefa Johnson, wrote under the post. Another critic added, “The opportunity of a lifetime to source archival Carolyn fits and y’all did this,” as others noted her high-fashion look looked “cheap” in Ryan’s recreation.
After the pics dropped, Carolyn’s friend and former hairstylist, Brad Johns, reacted to Sarah’s portrayal in conversation with Page Six.
“I love Ryan Murphy. I mean, I live for him. But there must be some kind of glitch with the costume people or the hair people, because it’s not right—it’s all white and burnt,” he said, adding, “Her hair was not white and it wasn’t burnt, and she hated the idea of having ashy hair—which I was totally against, too, and I never did it.”
Sarah’s team seemed to have considered the criticism as the actor debuted a new-and-improved shade of blonde at the I Know What You Did Last Summer premiere.
She stars alongside Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, and Gabbriette Bechtel in the reboot of the 1997 slasher film, which also features its original stars, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Her character sports brunette hair in the movie, so naturally, fans ate up her look on the red carpet. In her Instagram comments section, one wrote, “This Prada blonde moment is actually beyond words,” and another added, “Oh the light hair is goooood 🔥👏🏾.”
Ryan Murphy also reacted to comments about his take on Carolyn during an interview with Puck, saying, “I had no idea that people cared as much as they do, but I guess that’s a good thing.”
The series has already started filming and is set to premiere during the week of Valentine’s Day in 2026.
