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'American Love Story' receives February 2026 release date

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 4:01 PM ET

Ryan Murphy took to Instagram today to give fans a first look at Paul Kelly as JFK. Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette in American Love Story. However, that's not all; he also revealed when the first iteration of the new anthology series will premiere.

"Here are some stills from our LOVE STORY camera test. We started shooting this week in New York City and can’t wait until you see the romantic and tragic love story between America’s prince, JFK Jr., and fashion icon Carolyn Bessette—out Valentine’s Day week of 2026," the writer, director, producer, and executive producer wrote. "I am thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices. Congratulations Sarah and Paul!"

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The rest of the cast will include Naomi Watts as Jackie O., Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein, Leila George as Kelly Klein, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette, and Noah Fearnley as Michael Bergin.

According to Deadline, American Love Story "focuses on JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, a love story which started as a beautiful union for the young couple, widely regarded as American royalty, began to fray under the stress of the relentless microscope and navel-gaze of tabloid media. The pressures of their careers and rumored family discord ended with their tragic deaths when his private plane crashed into the ocean on a hazy summer night off the coast of Massachusetts."

Brad Simpson, Nina Jacobson, D.V. DiVencentis, and Connor Hines also executive produce.

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Simpson told Variety, "It is a story that really resonates right now. It’s amazing. A lot of younger women are looking to her as sort of a representational icon of a certain period of time that’s really fascinating."

American Love Story will be released on Valentine's Day week 2026 on FX and Hulu.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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