Did Carolyn Bessette Inspire This "Sex and the City" Character? Jordana ComiterSat, February 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC 0 Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Sex and the City' ; Carolyn Bessette Kennedy on March 9, 1999, in New York City ; Bridget Moynahan in 'Sex and the City' AJ Pics/Alamy ; Evan Agostini/Getty ; HBO Ryan Murphy's limited series Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette premiered on Feb.
Did Carolyn Bessette Inspire This "Sex and the City" Character?
Jordana ComiterSat, February 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC
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Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Sex and the City' ; Carolyn Bessette Kennedy on March 9, 1999, in New York City ; Bridget Moynahan in 'Sex and the City'
AJ Pics/Alamy ; Evan Agostini/Getty ; HBO
Ryan Murphy's limited series Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette premiered on Feb. 12
Since its release, several fans have made parallels between Bessette and some Sex and the City characters
One Sex and the City actress said she went into her audition with Bessette's "energy" in mind
Fans of Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette are drawing parallels between that of another popular New York-based show.
The limited series, starring Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon, chronicles the passionate relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Calvin Klein employee Carolyn Bessette. Notably, the show opens with a disclaimer that the story is "inspired by actual events but includes fictional elements" for "dramatic purposes."
Since its release, there's been a reignited interest not just in Kennedy Jr. and Bessette's love story, but also in the iconic '90s New York street style that the couple were known for.
It's also sparked online debate about possible parallels to another legendary New York series: Sex and the City, which follows sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her three best friends' lives in Manhattan's dating scene.
So, did Carolyn Bessette inspire any Sex and the City characters? Here's everything we know about her connection to the show.
Did Carolyn Bessette inspire a Sex and the City character?
Bridget Moynahan and Chris Noth in 'Sex and the City'
None of the Sex and the City writers have confirmed any inspiration being drawn from Bessette.
However, in an October 2021 conversation with Glamour, Bridget Moynahan — who portrayed Mr. Big's (Chris Noth) young fiancée and Ralph Lauren employee Natasha — shared that she drew inspiration from Bessette when auditioning for the role.
"Because originally it was one line, I think at the time I really created a backstory for myself," she said of her character. "Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s wife, was kind of my image of who Natasha was. I went in with that energy in my mind."
Notably, it's revealed in the Sex and the City finale that Mr. Big's real name is John.
Why do some fans think Carolyn Bessette inspired Carrie Bradshaw?
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy ; Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City.
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy ; Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Sex and the City'
After the release of Love Story: JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, many social media users drew parallels between the carefree Calvin Klein employee and Sex and the City's lead, Carrie Bradshaw.
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One TikTok user said Bessette's character in the series is "giving Carrie Bradshaw coded" because of some stylistic elements, including the emphasized focus on both of the blondes' iconic hairdos and their New York City lifestyles.
However, Carrie Bradshaw was actually inspired by author Candace Bushnell, who wrote the Sex and the City book and column that inspired the HBO series.
"Originally Carrie Bradshaw was basically me, and that's one of the things that's a big part of the show, it's about Sex and the City, how I created Sex in the City, how hard I worked to get there, and why I invented Carrie Bradshaw," Bushnell told PEOPLE in February 2026, noting that as the seasons go on, the character "takes on a life of its own."
Did John F. Kennedy Jr. really date Sarah Jessica Parker?
John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1993 in Los Angeles ; Sarah Jessica Parker during 1997 VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards in New York City.
Barry King/WireImage ; Ke.Mazur/WireImage
The actress who brought the New York City writer to life had a very brief romance of her own with Kennedy Jr.In a September 1992 interview with The New York Times, Parker spoke about getting to know Kennedy Jr., who asked her on a date after they met at the theater one year earlier.
She went on to wed Matthew Broderick in 1997 and the couple share three children.
Are any other Sex and the City characters inspired by real people?
Chris Noth in 'Sex and the City' ; Ron Galotti in 1996 in New York City.
Craig Blankenhorn / ©HBO/courtesy Everett Collection ; Rose Hartman/Getty
Several other characters are confirmed to have been drawn from real people.
Mr. Big was inspired by former publishing executive and Bushnell's ex-boyfriend, Ronald Galotti, according to The New York Times.
"I called him Mr. Big because he was like a big man on campus," Bushnell told New York Magazine about Galotti, whom she dated for a little over a year. She went on to chronicle their relationship in her column, "Sex and the City," which eventually became a book and HBO series.
During an April 2025 appearance on Kristin Davis' podcast, Are You a Charlotte?, Bushnell shared that the host's character, Charlotte, was the only one Darren Starr "really created."
"All the other characters [were based on real people]. There was a Miranda [and] there was a Samantha," Bushnell said of Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall's characters. "Samantha was pretty specifically one friend of mine, who knew everything about men and I'm actually still friends with her and then the character of Miranda was this really ballsy, smart girl […] in tech before anybody was in tech."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: February 21, 2026 at 12:45PM on Source: MARIO MAG
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