Was There Actually an Anonymous Column Inspired By Carolyn Bessette in the '90s Called 'Spoiled in the City'?
Was There Actually an Anonymous Column Inspired By Carolyn Bessette in the '90s Called 'Spoiled in the City'?
Jordana ComiterSun, March 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
0
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy ; Spoiled in the City column in 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette'.Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty ; Hulu -
Episode 7 of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette was released on March 12
The episode sees the couple navigate life after their 1996 wedding
In the show, Bessette reads a column called "Spoiled in the City" that feels like a pointed reference to her
Love Story's seventh episode sees Carolyn Bessette come across an anonymous satire column that appears to reference her life — but did it actually exist off-screen?
The Ryan Murphy FX series — which took inspiration from Elizabeth Beller’s 2024 book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy — has introduced a new group of fans to the real-life romance between political heir JFK Jr. and the former Calvin Klein associate.
After falling in love in the first few episodes, the show chronicles the couple having to navigate the intense public fascination surrounding their relationship, and ultimately, the accompanying scrutiny. In Episode 7, "The Obsession," released on March 12, Bessette has to adjust not only to married life — but to what it means to now be "Mrs. Kennedy."
She comes across an anonymous writer's column, titled "Spoiled in the City," that focuses on a character nicknamed "CKB" — which her sister, Lauren Bessette, believes is a not-so-subtle way of alluding to "CBK" while protecting from a potential lawsuit.
"None of the other publications are worried about smearing my reputation, so why should she?" Bessette asks her sister over a phone call.
So, was the "Spoiled in the City" column real? Here's everything we know.
Was the "Spoiled in the City" column real?
Spoiled in the City column in 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette'.Credit: Hulu
The magazine column that Bessette reads in the show closely mirrors one that existed in real life.
In November 1998, Manhattan File published the first of what was intended to become a satire series titled "Diary of a Bitch," written by author and columnist Candace Bushnell.
According to Beller's book, the column had a subtitle called "Spoiled in the City," which painted a "ruthless" portrait of its main character "CKB" who "married the world's most eligible bachelor and inherited way more than she bargained for."
Advertisement
PEOPLE reached out to Bushnell for comment but has not heard back.
What did the "Spoiled in the City" column really say?
John F Kennedy Jr and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy at the Newman's Own/George Magazine Awards on May 19, 1999 in New York.Credit: Allan Tannenbaum/Getty
According to Beller's book, the subtitle implied that the main character inherited "an unreformed husband, a paparazzi conspiracy, and a nasty habit of popping pills."
"Is something rotten in SoHo? Introducing the diaries of CKB," the subtitle continued.
Beller wrote that "CKB" was portrayed with "less nuance than a Disney villain," and was someone who pouted for attention and pretended to be pregnant.
What happened to the column?
Candace Bushnell performs in her one-woman show, "True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY" on April 04, 2024 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.Credit: Jeremychanphotography/Getty
Beller wrote in her book that Bessette felt "pummeled" after the column was published and began "stepping out of the ring," shifting from a public presence to someone who rarely left the house.
While it's unknown what happened to Bushnell's "Diary of a Bitch" column, her earlier New York Observer column, "Sex and the City," served as the basis for HBO's highly successful show of the same name.
In 1997, Bushnell's columns were published in an anthology book based on her own life and dating experiences in New York City, which served as the foundation for Darren Star's Sex and the City.
For more on the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, pick up PEOPLE's special edition, available now on newsstands and here.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
