Celebrity News September 09, 2026
Martha Stewart Recalls Her Eerie Final Conversation with John F. Kennedy Jr.
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Martha Stewart dropped a bombshell on the Season 16 premiere of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”
Stewart revisited her final conversation with John F. Kennedy Jr., just days before he and his wife Carolyn Bessette perished in a 1999 plane crash.
Martha told Daisy Toye, “I was with John-John — this is JFK Jr. — I was with him the Monday before the Friday when they died. He called me. I was running Martha Stewart Living magazine, and he called me and he said he’s in trouble and could he please talk to me about what to do with George, the magazine that he had started. And I said, ‘Of course. Anything you want.’”
“We had a very nice dinner,” Stewart went on. “And then at the end of the dinner, I said to him, ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ And he said, ‘Oh, we’re going to a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard. And I’m taking my wife and her sister.’ And I said, ‘Well, who’s flying?’ He said, ‘I’m flying.’ I said, ‘You have a co-pilot, right?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t need a co-pilot.’”
JFK Jr., Carolyn, and her sister Lauren Bessette died July 16, 1999, when the six-seat Piper Saratoga he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic. The cause of the crash was chalked up to JFK Jr. becoming disoriented due to his lack of proficiency as a pilot. He was also flight with an injured ankle.
Martha said she has thought about their final conversation “many times,” adding, “I feel sorry.”
There has been renewed interest in Kennedy and Bessette’s relationship thanks to Ryan Murphy’s FX series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.”
The series finale didn’t shy away from the tragedy that ended the couple’s lives.
“Extra” recently spoke with Paul Anthony and Sarah Pidgeon about playing the famous couple.
Paul Anthony emphasized, “It’s a love story. You just follow these two individuals.”
Sarah added, “It was amazing to make… The tension that appears in every relationship, the passion, their struggle with maintaining the integrity of their private life, despite, you know, a lot of pressure from the public.”
As for their insane chemistry, Sarah noted, “As Carolyn had John, Paul was there for Sarah and that was true throughout the entire experience, from the moment he walked in the audition.”
“Extra” also spoke with John F. Kennedy’s personal assistant Rosemarie Terenzio, who approved of Paul Anthony’s casting.
She raved, “He’s done an amazing job, ’cause those are big shoes to fill.”
