1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kuric and this is next question. Well, 2 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 1: just a couple of months ago, I sat down with 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: John F. Kennedy Junior for what turned out to be 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: his last television interview. Who would have ever thought the 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: occasion was the Profile Encourage Award given out by John 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: and his sister every year. As it happened, we did 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: not broadcast everything from that interview, so we wanted to 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: share the rest of it with you this morning. JFK 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: Junior's last interview May nineteen ninety nine. We were talking 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: about his mom. That was in the summer of nineteen 11 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: ninety nine, when I was reporting from Hyanna Sport after 12 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: John F. Kennedy Junior's plane went down. I still can't 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: believe that I conducted his last TV interview just months 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: before he. 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: Parented for both of them, and I think she was 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: deliberate in ensuring that his interest in his concerns were 17 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 2: part of our upbringing and some of her own which 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 2: were not his, And I think there was a dynamic 19 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: there that was healthy. 20 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: Gosh, it's so heartbreaking to listen to that even all 21 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: these years later. Today, July sixteenth is the twenty fifth anniversary. 22 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: Can you believe it of the shocking desks of JFK. Junior, 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: his wife Carolyn Bassett, and her sister Lauren. They're playing 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: piloted by John went down off the coast of Massachusetts. 25 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: He was just thirty eight years old, Carolyn just thirty three, 26 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: and Lauren was thirty four. Was so much ahead of them. Today, 27 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: on this sad anniversary, we bring you a pair of 28 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: companion episodes about their lives. I spoke with the authors 29 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: of two new books. Once Upon a Time, written by 30 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: journalists Elizabeth Beller, focuses on Carolyn Bassett and her legacy. 31 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: Then there's JFK Jr. An intimate oral biography, a collection 32 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: of stories from some of John's close friends, compiled by 33 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 1: Rosemarie Torenzio, his longtime assistant and chief of staff, as 34 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: well as Liz McNeil of People Magazine. For the longest time, 35 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: no one close to John or Carolyn would talk much 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: about them. It seemed to be some kind of understanding 37 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: among their friends. But now twenty five years later, it 38 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: seems like many people who knew them are now willing 39 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: to open up and tell some stories about their lives. 40 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: What was it about John and Carolyn that made people 41 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: so fascinated by their every move. Did they somehow represent 42 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: both the past and the future? Was it a combination 43 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: of nostalgia and hope? It certainly was for me. I 44 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: was one of the legions of people absolutely captivated by them, 45 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: and of course one of the millions of women besotted 46 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: by John. Seeing that come to a sudden, senseless and 47 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: was just devastating. But thanks to these two new books, 48 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: in many ways, we get to know them all over 49 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: again and have a much better sense of who they 50 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: really were. First of all, Rose, Marie, and Liz, welcome 51 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: to next question. How are you both doing great? 52 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 3: Thank you for having us. We're excited, We're super excited. 53 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 4: We're super excited, and we love hearing what people are 54 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 4: responding to And I'm always asking people what's your favorite 55 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 4: chapter and which voice did you like? So I think 56 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 4: because we've lived in our heads for so long and 57 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 4: of course in the many papers on my desk, but 58 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 4: it's amazing for us to have feedback from our readers. 59 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: Before we talk about sort of the book and how 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: you all set it up, which I think is really 61 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: unique and interesting and eminently readable. I want to talk 62 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: to you about your relationship with John F. Kennedy Junior, 63 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: and how you all decided to collaborate Rose Marie, Why 64 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: don't we start with you? 65 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 3: Sure, I was John's assistant and then chief of staff 66 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 3: for five years at George. I became very close friends 67 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 3: with him and with Carolyn, and we had a wonderful 68 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 3: friendship and brothers sister teasing relationship and a great professional 69 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 3: relationship as well. And so that's how I came to this. 70 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: Liz, what about you? How did you know John F. 71 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: Kennedy Junior. 72 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 4: So I got the jfk Junior beat back when my 73 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 4: boss thought that John and Carolyn are about to get married, 74 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,239 Speaker 4: and she said, you got to find out everything about 75 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 4: these people. And you know, I've been thinking about it lately. 76 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 4: And of course this is back when nobody talked like zero. 77 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,919 Speaker 4: And I always would say nobody was nicer about turning 78 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 4: me down than John's friends, because the response would always 79 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 4: to be like, Liz, you know, you know I can't 80 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 4: talk to you, and I'm like, I know you can't 81 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 4: talk to me. But they did return, some of them 82 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 4: to return my call. And for that I'll always be 83 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 4: as you know, as a reporter, we appreciate that so yeah, 84 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 4: basically nobody talked back then. 85 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 5: Maybe there was one friend. 86 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: This was when you were at People magazine. 87 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I'm still at People and Rose and I 88 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 4: weest that. I always say, you know, you never returned 89 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 4: my call. 90 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: They always said no, but I returned your calls. 91 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 4: But I only met Rose a year, probably about a 92 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 4: year after John died. We met for the first time, 93 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 4: So our relationship really started after John's death. 94 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: Why did you all want to write this book? Obviously, 95 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: on July sixteenth of this year, it will be twenty 96 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: five years since John died, which is just so impossible 97 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: to believe. But what was your goal when you were 98 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: working on this book and publishing it around this time? 99 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 3: Rose, Marie, I think it was that I wanted John 100 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,799 Speaker 3: to be remembered. I didn't want him to be forgotten, 101 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 3: and particularly younger people to know about him, who he was, 102 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 3: his place in our history, our culture, George magazine. And 103 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 3: I think that enough time had passed where for me 104 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 3: and also for his friends and some of his family 105 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 3: members who participated, it felt more like a celebration of. 106 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: Him than the morning. 107 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 3: It felt like enough time had passed that we could 108 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 3: celebrate rather than mourn. And I really always felt that 109 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 3: I never wanted John to be forgotten, and I felt 110 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 3: that if he knew you were going to be gone 111 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 3: at thirty eight, he wouldn't want to be forgotten. 112 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: Liz, I guess this time people did return your calls. 113 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: What was it like for you to report on this 114 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: now versus when you were first given this assignment back 115 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: in the day. 116 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 4: Well, I'll just say it makes a big difference when 117 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 4: you say I'm working with Rosemary Tarnsio. Let's just say, 118 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 4: but I had met some of John's friends over the years, 119 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 4: maybe through books they had written or other projects that 120 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 4: we had done together. But of course it's a whole 121 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 4: different level, you know, now that I'm working with Rose. 122 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 4: You know, I think it was I was just really 123 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 4: interested in having sort of open ended conversations with people, 124 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 4: you know, I kind of wanted to see where they went, 125 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 4: tried not to ask too many, you know, leading questions, 126 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 4: and we sort of wanted to present sort of this 127 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 4: kind of kaleidoscopic view of John, right, all different voices, 128 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 4: all different perspectives, all different timeframes, and you know, there 129 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 4: were a lot of like surprises along the way. 130 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 5: So I think, you know, Rose and. 131 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 4: I would get so excited when we got a great interview, 132 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 4: and we would get heartbroken once somebody turned us down. 133 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 4: But it was all like we were. I was like 134 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 4: learning as I went. So I think it sort of 135 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 4: gave the project a lot of energy, and it gave 136 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 4: us energy because I mean it was daunting but exciting 137 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 4: at the same time. 138 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: The format of the book is very interesting, and that, 139 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: as you said, it's a kaleidoscopic but word that I 140 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: don't use that much. Liz view JFK Junior's life from 141 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: a whole myriad of perspectives. In fact, you did over 142 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: two hundred interviews. You talked to me, Rosemary talked to me, 143 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: and it was fun to reminisce about the fact that 144 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: I had done John's last on camera interview and how 145 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: in retrospect, how moving and poignant it was. But how 146 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: did you all decide to format the book the way 147 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: you did, with basically people talking about their memories of John, 148 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: even starting with the courtship of John F. Kennedy and 149 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: Jacqueline Bouvier and before they got married. So tell me 150 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: about sort of putting it together and how you decided 151 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: to fill it with sometimes just snippets and other times 152 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: several paragraphs. 153 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 3: From my perspective, it felt like I think Liz could 154 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 3: be you know, from a journalistic perspective, would answer this 155 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 3: better than I would. But I think what we wanted 156 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 3: it to feel like was you were sitting in a 157 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 3: room or in a living room and just sharing memories 158 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 3: of John and of his life. And I think for 159 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 3: the part of it that was you know, historical so 160 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 3: to speak, going back to his mom and dad and 161 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 3: their courtship. I think he gave it a perspective so 162 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 3: that for people who might not have known him or 163 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 3: didn't know the history, they wouldn't feel like they were 164 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 3: reading about someone that they didn't know. You know, they 165 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 3: kind of got the background, the history. This is why 166 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: this person is who he is, and this is how 167 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:31,719 Speaker 3: he got there, and this is so I think it's 168 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 3: important when you want people to invest in someone to 169 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,359 Speaker 3: do that, to really paint a full picture. 170 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: And to really hear their life story from the very beginning, 171 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: even before they were conceived, right, And I think that 172 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: made his life come alive for me, especially the depictions 173 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: of him as a little boy fascinated with all things military, 174 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: fascinated with helicopters, crying when his father left, and that 175 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: very po it remembrance of the President looking at the 176 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: Secret Service agent and saying, you know, take care of John, 177 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: never knowing that he wouldn't see his son again after 178 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: that fateful trip to Dallas. What were your hopes for 179 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: the layout of the book. 180 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 4: I guess we really wanted the book to move, you know, 181 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 4: and like I think what Rose was saying, like, so 182 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 4: there is sort of a conversation happening, and so you know, 183 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 4: and then as we were writing it, you'd see, oh, 184 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 4: this person talked about let's just say the wedding, Carolyn's 185 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 4: wedding dress. Oh, but then remember that thing that other 186 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 4: person said. And then so you'd almost like it's almost 187 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 4: like like when we're talking, we're interrupting each other, and 188 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 4: what about that? And so you kind of were like 189 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 4: maybe sometimes looking for themes, and then sometimes right something 190 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 4: would flow. 191 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 5: Into the next thing, or somebody would say something. 192 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 4: And when I started it, I actually made print outs 193 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 4: of my transcripts and was cutting That's how old I am. 194 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 4: I was cutting them at the beginning and the kitchen 195 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 4: table with my husband, and somehow I needed to break 196 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 4: it to see it in a new way and then oh, 197 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 4: this voice actually goes with that person, so right. The 198 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 4: idea was to sort of give it energy, people having 199 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 4: a conversation, and then chapters sort of have a beginning 200 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 4: and an end. Maybe they're sort of leading you into 201 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 4: the next chapter. So I guess we just wanted to 202 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 4: make it as lively and as possible and really sort 203 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 4: of winnowing it down to anecdotes so people are really 204 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 4: sharing stories. 205 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: At the beginning of the book, you have an interview 206 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: with someone Martha Bartlett, whose husband had set up Jackie 207 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: and Jack Kennedy back when they were much younger. I 208 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: think Jackie was just twenty one at the time and 209 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: he was thirty three, and I think a lot of 210 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: people might be surprised that then John Kennedy had no 211 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: game like In fact, you quoted her saying, poor Jack 212 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: was always making advances, half the time they were not accepted. 213 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: He thought he was a great don juant, and most 214 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: women didn't think of him as a great don juant. 215 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: That made me laugh because I thought, oh my gosh, 216 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: this big Latharia, who you know, kind of was an 217 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: awkward guy. 218 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 4: Well, let's just say Martha is one tough lady. Okay, 219 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 4: and she has survived a lot, so I will just 220 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 4: leave it at that, Martha. That was Martha's take. 221 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 5: She definitely knew them, and she's definitely out of that era. 222 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: How old is Martha at this point. 223 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 4: I'd say ninety five ninety six, and wow, Marth was 224 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 4: going strong. 225 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 1: Good for Martha and she you know, I know she 226 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: also told you that Jackie knew from the get go 227 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: that he was a big philanderer, but because of her 228 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: father and his philandering ways, she wasn't that rattled by it. 229 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: Is that accurate, Rose, Marie? 230 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 3: I don't know about that. I think that might be 231 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 3: Martha's opinion from what she saw. But you know, I 232 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 3: think we all go into a new relationship, and I 233 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 3: would imagine Jackie Kennedy did the same thing, hoping for 234 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: the best and hoping that we have a great romance. 235 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 3: And I think in a lot of ways they did. 236 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 3: But I think that there's always you know, there are 237 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,719 Speaker 3: always the problems in pitfalls and relationships. So that's how 238 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 3: I look at it. I think everybody goes it in 239 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 3: hopeful and you know, really wide eyed about it. I hope, 240 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 3: you know. 241 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: I think you're being very nice and diplomatic. It sounds 242 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: like he was kind of a dog, but because her 243 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: dad was kind of a dog that, at least according 244 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: to Martha, she just dealt with it. In fact, Martha's 245 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: quote is Jackie was used to philandering. It's all about 246 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: what you're used to, you connect it with love. So 247 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: I thought that was really interesting insight into their relationship. 248 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: And how did you take away from all the people 249 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: with whom you spoke about their marriage in general? I 250 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: thought it was sort of heartbreaking that Jackie lost her 251 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: fourth child, because she had also lost a child earlier, 252 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: Arabella was stillborn, and then her fourth child, Patrick died 253 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: shortly after birth from respiratory distress. She was despondent, and 254 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: she and according to whoever it was who was talking 255 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: at this time in the book, decided to go to 256 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: Dallas and to help her husband. And that person said 257 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: that they seemed to be on much stronger ground and 258 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: that the death of Patrick not only changed him, changed 259 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: her obviously, but it changed them as a couple in 260 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: a way. Right No. 261 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 4: Clint Hill has said that the Secret Service agent who 262 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 4: was with Jackie all the time, and he noticed more 263 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 4: a little more tenderness between them, a little more closeness, 264 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 4: and Martha had also noticed a change. So I mean, right, 265 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 4: that's something unimaginable to go through something like that and 266 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 4: what that does to a couple. So that was really 267 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 4: touching anecdote there, and very heartbreaking, I thought, And it. 268 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 3: Is heartbreaking because those things can go either way in 269 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 3: a relationship, but either it can either bring you closer 270 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 3: together or further apart. And I think it's, you know, 271 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 3: just sad that happened that way. And then they went 272 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 3: to Dallas. 273 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: And then of course everything changed when President Kennedy was assassinated, 274 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: and boy, the details in the book about that are 275 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: so hero range. You know, it made me think and 276 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: wonder about John and never knowing his dad really and 277 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: it made me so sad that he couldn't read this 278 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: book and the remembrances of people who saw him with 279 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: his dad, and the part where his father knew that 280 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: Jackie didn't really like the kids to be photographed, so 281 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: when she went away, he would have the White House 282 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: photographer come in because he knew people would love to 283 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: see photos of the kids, and I guess he didn't 284 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: feel as strongly about their privacy. And that's when that 285 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: very famous photo of John John under the desk was 286 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: taken when Jackie was out of the White House and 287 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: the coast was clear, right yeah. 288 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 3: And also, as Michael Shean says, John told him that 289 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 3: his mother would not allow them to chew gum, so 290 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 3: his father would always have gum for him, and he 291 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 3: had it under his desk, and that's how John got 292 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 3: under there to get the gone. 293 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: That's so funny. He was a little young to be 294 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: chewing gum, wasn't he. I mean he was how old? 295 00:16:59,720 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 3: Was he? 296 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: Two or three years old at the time? 297 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 3: And even three? It was guy. 298 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: When we come back. How the nineteen sixty three assassination 299 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 1: of President Kennedy when John was only three, strengthened his 300 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: bonds with his mother, Jackie and his sister Caroline. If 301 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: you want to get smarter every morning with a breakdown 302 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: of the news and fascinating takes on health and wellness 303 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: and pop culture, sign up for our daily newsletter Wake 304 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: Up Call by going to Katiecuric dot com. We're back 305 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: with Rosemarie Trensio and Liz McNeil. After President Kennedy was assassinated. Clearly, John, 306 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: Caroline and Jackie, I feel funny calling her by your 307 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: first name. But anyway, they formed an extraordinary bond. They 308 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:01,360 Speaker 1: tell us about that. 309 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 4: Liz, I was just thinking of something that Sasha Chair 310 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 4: may have said. John's one of John's closest friends, and 311 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 4: she called that sort of like a sacred space, sort 312 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 4: of something that is, you know, almost impenetrable because they 313 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 4: were so close. And I think there was another friend, 314 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 4: Chris Oberbeck, John's roommate at Brown, who said, you know, 315 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 4: those two women are those are the primary sort of 316 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 4: influences in his life, right. It's his mother and his sister, 317 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 4: So it's I don't think I have thought about it 318 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 4: that way before, but when you think about it that way, right, 319 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 4: those two relationships really form who he is. So I 320 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 4: thought that was enlightening. I hadn't thought of John that way, 321 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 4: like basically an unbreakable. 322 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: Bond there also, I think probably having a certain respect 323 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: for women. I know that one of his friends said 324 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: he could have been out carousing, having one night stance. 325 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 1: But he was really a serial monogamous when he got older, 326 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: wasn't he? 327 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 3: Yes, he was, And I think that his relationship with 328 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 3: his mother and his sister or had a lot to 329 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 3: do with that. I think he had a respect for women, 330 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,679 Speaker 3: and he didn't want to see women be hurt. He 331 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 3: didn't want to be responsible for that. And I think 332 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 3: his mother and his sister were the absolute biggest influences 333 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,360 Speaker 3: on his life, and their relationship was closer than anything 334 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 3: any relationship I've ever seen. I think he had a 335 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 3: tremendous amount of respect for women. I think he was 336 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 3: cautious about not hurting people's feelings, especially women, because he wouldn't 337 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 3: want to see his mom or his sister be hurt. 338 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 3: You know, he adored those women. They and they really 339 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 3: formed who he was. And Caroline was extremely protective of John, 340 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 3: and he was of her. 341 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you how Caroline feels or felt 342 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: about the fact that you were putting this book together. 343 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: Obviously she didn't participate, but there are photos of the 344 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: two of them in the book that are really quite beautiful. 345 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 3: I corresponded with her and she said, you know, look, 346 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 3: I'm not going to participate, but thank you for letting 347 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 3: me know, and good luck with it. There weren't didn't 348 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 3: seem to be on my end from her any hard 349 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 3: feelings about it. It's just not something that she would 350 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 3: participate in. And I totally understand that, and I respect that. 351 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: What about other family members, did you reach out to them? 352 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a big, big family. 353 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, we reached out to a few. I didn't go 354 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 3: far and wide with the family because I thought I 355 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 3: wanted to really have the people who were, you know, 356 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 3: close to him and who he communicated with most often. 357 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 3: But Carrie gave us a really beautiful, funny, you know, 358 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 3: entry for the book, and I love it where she 359 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 3: talks about the little kid who says, says, what's your name? 360 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 3: And he says John? And he says John, what's your 361 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 3: whole name? And he says John F. Kennedy. He says, 362 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 3: do you know that you're named after an airport? 363 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: That's so funny. Well, that's great that Carrie was able 364 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: to give you something. But I think Caroline continues to 365 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: be very protective of John, and you know you kind 366 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: of alluded to this early on. But how do you 367 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: think he'd feel about some of these personal stories and 368 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: people talking about pretty intimate things in this book. Do 369 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: you think he would be upset with. 370 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 3: You at all? 371 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: Or what do you think he would say if he 372 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: were to walk into your room right now? 373 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 3: Well, I'd like to think that, you know, anybody after 374 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 3: they passed away would love to have their friends and 375 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 3: their family members and their colleagues come together and remember 376 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 3: them and tell beautiful stories about them and share their 377 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 3: memories so that they're not forgotten. 378 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 4: It's interesting, right because John was a member of our profession, right, 379 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 4: so he becomes an editor in chief, and I think 380 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 4: as a journalist, right, it was I think we wanted 381 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 4: to have this element of truth, but also to have 382 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 4: a lot of heart, and I feel like the book 383 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 4: does that. But I think you there has to be 384 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 4: an element of truth, like we had to if these 385 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 4: stories were shared with us and everything was done in balance, 386 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,159 Speaker 4: like I felt, for me, it made me just have 387 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 4: a much better understanding of him, more empathy, more fondness 388 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 4: for him. 389 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 5: So that was our intent. 390 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: Let's talk about his relationship with the father. He never 391 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: really knew how difficult was that for him to navigate 392 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: this the mythology of his father, the larger than life 393 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: figure that his dad was, with his own development as 394 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: a person. You watched him, I think probably struggle with 395 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: that at times. What was that like? 396 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 3: I don't know that he struggled with being part of 397 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 3: a legacy or a mythology. He didn't see it that way. 398 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 3: He saw it as this is my family. They're not 399 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 3: a legacy to me. They're not a mythology to me. 400 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 3: They're my family. I think what was interesting about what 401 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,360 Speaker 3: I learned from the book was all of the little 402 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 3: sort of pieces that came together on him really kind 403 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 3: of searching to have a better understanding and a deeper 404 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 3: understanding of his father and really sort of getting to 405 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 3: know him through all the various people and things that 406 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 3: he did. And on one of those is you know, 407 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 3: George Magazine. I mean, he really he interviews people who 408 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,479 Speaker 3: are I mean, he goes in visits with the Fidel 409 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 3: Castro and asks him for an interview. He you know, 410 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 3: he sort of wants to understand his father and his 411 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 3: father's presidency, and I think you can see that throughout 412 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 3: the book, and it's I think it was probably really 413 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 3: tough for him to know that the whole world, you know, 414 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 3: knew his father, and many people had memories of his 415 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 3: father that he didn't have. And I think that he 416 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 3: appreciated the affinity that people had for his father and 417 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 3: the affection, but I think it was probably difficult for 418 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,679 Speaker 3: him not to have his own memories and not to 419 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 3: have his own connection as an adult. 420 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: Liz, what about the pressures on him to be a 421 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: really important figure in American society. How tough was that. 422 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: It seemed like he was trying to find his way working. 423 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: You know, he decided he didn't want to be a lawyer. 424 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: He then decided he wanted to be a magazine editor. 425 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: He was in the throes of getting support, even more support, 426 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: making sure that George could continue when he died. How 427 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: much do you think that weighed on him. I remember 428 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: reading the New York Post articles every time he failed 429 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: the bar and I thought, God, that's so tough to 430 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: have everyone in the world know that you failed the 431 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: bar exam because he took it? What how many times? 432 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 5: List three? 433 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: Three was the third time? A charm? Yes, okay, good, 434 00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: thank god? But I mean, talk about what you learned 435 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: from people you interviewed, but also just from covering him, 436 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: this enormous pressure he felt. 437 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 4: I mean, it's always interesting with him, and I think 438 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 4: there's sort of I felt like he's always sort of 439 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 4: breaking free, you know, doing his own thing. And one 440 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 4: thing that I always marvel at is like when I 441 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 4: think about his level of fame and who he was, 442 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 4: and there's almost like no protection, you know, because you're 443 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 4: a journalist. There's no doorman, there's no manager. He has Rose, 444 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 4: who's incredibly loyal and protective. But he was very much 445 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 4: part of the world, part of New York City. So 446 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 4: that was always interesting, and it did seem like there 447 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 4: was this element of breaking free, whether it was going 448 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 4: to Brown, traveling, just being amongst everyone right, definitely not 449 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 4: seeking protection, or definitely like out and about. 450 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 5: So that's sort of fascinating. 451 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 4: And yet it seems like at the end, I think 452 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 4: Steve Gillen said that he was John's biographer and a 453 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 4: friend of John's, and he wrote a great book about John, 454 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 4: called America's Electant Prince, and he said that John throughout 455 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 4: his life said I don't want to do what people 456 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 4: expect me to do. His life is a lot like 457 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 4: that out in Central Park, you know, found founding George. 458 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 4: But then he was saying that at the end of 459 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 4: his life, or it would be in the middle of 460 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 4: his life, John sort of is coming to this moment 461 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,199 Speaker 4: where maybe he is going to do what people expect 462 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 4: him to do, but maybe he had to come to 463 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 4: that moment himself, right, which is maybe sort of what 464 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 4: this book is sort of about, sort of how he figures. 465 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: It out himself. He was accosted by headlines in the 466 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: New York Posts like hunk flunks and all kinds of 467 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,360 Speaker 1: things when he did not pass the bar exam, and 468 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: the book makes clear that he most certainly got into 469 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: Brown because of his name. So I was curious how 470 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: you all felt about his intellect and was he sensitive 471 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 1: about this notion that he wasn't maybe the sharpest tool 472 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: in the shed. I think that's you know, I think 473 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 1: those girl had an object to that. Rosemary God. 474 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 3: I do because I knew him, and I knew he 475 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 3: was extremely intelligent, very wise, very tempered, and you know, 476 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 3: you have to also understand like at that time in 477 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 3: his life after college, he's studying or not studying for 478 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 3: the bar exam. You know, people fail things all the time, 479 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 3: but it's not on the front page of the New 480 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 3: York Post as you're you know, going down the street. 481 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 3: And I think those things were upsetting to him and 482 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 3: it hurt him. But I also think that John throughout 483 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 3: his life had seen that those things, as he always said, 484 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 3: as my and he said it in the letter to 485 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 3: Mike Tyson you know, today's headlines are lining tomorrow's trash cans, 486 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 3: and no amount of bad press is going to change 487 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 3: you know, your life if the people around you love 488 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 3: and respect you. And I think he lived life that way. 489 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 3: And I think he really did have an incredible eq. 490 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 3: You know, he had a way of walking into a 491 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 3: room and knowing exactly what was happening and who was 492 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 3: who and how to treat, you know, how people. You know, 493 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 3: he had this thing where he would go to the 494 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 3: shyest person in the room or the person who was 495 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 3: in the corner, and that's the person he would introduce 496 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 3: himself to. A person who seemed the most uncomfortable he 497 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 3: would introduce himself to. So it was like those kind 498 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 3: of things you're not you know, you're not dumb. And 499 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 3: I would also add. 500 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 6: That probably another thing, Katie, and another thing, Katie, probably 501 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 6: half of the celebrities in the country's children got into 502 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 6: their colleges because of their parents' names. 503 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 3: But that said, you know, no, he wasn't Caroline, he 504 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 3: wasn't an academic, but he he certainly wasn't, you know, dumb. 505 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: I think people, they're all kinds of intelligence, right, and 506 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: I think people can be deeply intelligent and perceptive, but 507 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: not necessarily academic. So it sounds like he fell into 508 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: that category. Yeah. 509 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 3: And John was one of those annoying people where if 510 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,959 Speaker 3: it didn't interest him, he didn't put on a you know, 511 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 3: he is kind of like a kid that way. If 512 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 3: it wasn't super interesting to him, he didn't you know, 513 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 3: he didn't give it at all. 514 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: This free spirit that he seemed to possess, you know, 515 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: rollerblading and someone described him rollerblading down Columbus with a 516 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: big pizza box over his head and really kind of 517 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: just being very open and vulnerable and out there. Do 518 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: you think that was the result of his mom's desire 519 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 1: to have him live a normal life, because I know 520 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 1: that was really important to her. 521 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think part of it was that. I think 522 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 3: that's where the seed of it was planted. But I 523 00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 3: think for John, he was in constant, perpetual. That was John. 524 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 3: He was not a guy to sit still. He was 525 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 3: not a guy to you know. He wanted to be 526 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 3: in the thick of it. As a friend of his 527 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 3: said when we opened the book, John wanted to be 528 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 3: on the dance floor with everybody. He didn't want to 529 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 3: be behind the ropes in the VIP section. He found 530 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 3: that boring. He felt like he was part of New 531 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 3: York and he belonged in New York, like I belong here. 532 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 3: I'm not some Ivory Tower person that doesn't belong in 533 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 3: the mix. He wanted to be in the mix. He 534 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 3: loved being around the city, he loved doing things that 535 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 3: were interesting. But also he was very you know, athletic. 536 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 3: He looked run around and exercise. I mean, he had that, 537 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 3: but he also had the idea that experiences happened, you know, 538 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 3: when you're in the thick of it, and John wanted 539 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 3: to have a life full of really rich experiences. 540 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: I know that one entry talked about the impact Jackie 541 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: Kennedy's death from lymphoma had on her son and it 542 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: really changed him in many ways. Can you talk about that, Liz. 543 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, remember that interview, and it was from a very 544 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 4: close friend of John, somebody who had known him really 545 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 4: his entire life, and it really said I think his 546 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 4: phrase was that his wings came out or something like that, 547 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 4: that it was sort of, you know, there was like 548 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 4: tremendous sadness at the loss of his mom, but there 549 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 4: maybe there was also some kind of freedom that also 550 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 4: came with it, and that basically there was he sort 551 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 4: of became more of an adult, I guess, and that's 552 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 4: what and was sort of ready to take on new things. 553 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 4: So I think it was heartbreaking. And Rose was just 554 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 4: getting to know John at that time, so she would 555 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 4: probably know more than I. But I do remember the 556 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 4: friend saying, right, that was sort of a time for 557 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 4: his wings to come out. 558 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, he dated a lot of women. Unfortunately never asked 559 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: me out, much to my chagrin. But I think I 560 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: was married when I met him. I mean, my god, 561 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: I did I did I mention I had a crush 562 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: on him? I think I did a few times in 563 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: the book. But you know, tell me a little bit 564 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: about his relationships. Did anything surprise you that you learned? 565 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I know he had a girlfriend in the eighties. 566 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: I guess maybe who went to Brown with him. He 567 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: dated Sarah Jessica Parker. Give us a little tea, ladies. 568 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 5: Well. 569 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 3: One of the things that I think was interesting that 570 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 3: we discovered and that we you know, we kind of 571 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 3: knew but not really was there was a lot of overlap. 572 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 3: So he wouldn't just break off, be single and then 573 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 3: meet somebody else. He always kind of had overlap between girlfriends, 574 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 3: so it wasn't completely over, but he was sort of 575 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 3: starting with somebody else. 576 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: I don't know if I like that term overlap. Yeah, 577 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: it was sure because I would not want to be 578 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: one of the overlap girls in either direction. Probably, But 579 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: do you think that's because he didn't want to hurt 580 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: their feelings or what was going on there with this 581 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: overlap situation? 582 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 5: I mean, Rose I recall that. 583 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 4: I think in those instances it was sort of when 584 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 4: a relationship was ending. 585 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:16,040 Speaker 5: And there was one friend who was unnamed in the 586 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 5: book who. 587 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 4: Talked about that John couldn't really be single because this 588 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,479 Speaker 4: person said that he would actually get calls from like 589 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 4: members of royal families wanting to fix them up, and. 590 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 3: That was surprising why there was this sort of overlap, 591 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 3: why he was never really single. It was like, well, 592 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 3: he would be inundated with calls from you know. 593 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: Heads of state or people fathers or women themselves. John 594 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: much better than Hinge exactly. 595 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 3: Like he didn't even have to do and read it. 596 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 5: He didn't need it. 597 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: After this break, JFK. Junior meets Princess Diana and they 598 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 1: form an instant connection as reluctant public figures now more 599 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:21,120 Speaker 1: with Liz McNeil and Rose Marie Crencio. Team met with 600 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,359 Speaker 1: Princess Diana at the Carlisle. Tell us about that that. 601 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:27,839 Speaker 3: Was our most famous caper, trying to get in and 602 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,839 Speaker 3: out of there without getting noticed, which we did. 603 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: How did that happen and what was going on with 604 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: those two? 605 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 3: He wanted her to be on the cover of George 606 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:38,640 Speaker 3: and she was going to be in New York and 607 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 3: he was going over there to meet her and present 608 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 3: her with these sketches that Matt Burman or creative director 609 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 3: had done, you know, depicting what we would want to 610 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 3: do on the cover and how she would appear. And 611 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 3: you know, he went and met with her at the 612 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 3: Carlisle and she was there for a charity dinner and 613 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 3: her private secretary Patrick Jah at the time, and I, 614 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 3: you know, hatched the plan and we went over like 615 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 3: in the middle of the day, and I went with him, 616 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 3: and I walked in with him and waited downstairs, and 617 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 3: you know, he was up there for about I don't know, 618 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 3: maybe an hour, and they chatted and they said hello, 619 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 3: and they talked about various things, and he made his 620 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 3: little pitch for George and. 621 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: Did Sparks fly. 622 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 3: No, they did not. 623 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:28,400 Speaker 1: And she was married at the time, yes, Or was 624 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: she divorced. No, I think she was coming out of 625 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 1: her marriage. 626 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 3: But he was solidly with Carolyn at the time, and 627 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 3: it was it was kind of all business, you know. 628 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 3: And as Patrick describes it, like she in the book, 629 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,440 Speaker 3: you know, she she had this sort of empathy for him. 630 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 3: She saw him as vulnerable and as someone you know 631 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,760 Speaker 3: that she had empathy for because I think she probably 632 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 3: related to his situation. 633 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 1: In fact, she later wrote him a note about the paparazzi, right. 634 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, she said, I hope the paparazzi are leaving you alone. 635 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 3: If you can believe it. They're much worse here. I'm paraphrasing, 636 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 3: but it was just it was very you know, poignant. 637 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 3: But it was a situation where like, if it had 638 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 3: gotten out exactly what you said, did Sparks, why, it 639 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 3: would have been this whole tabloid frenzy of John and 640 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 3: Princess Diana dating. And that was not the case. So 641 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 3: we got there and decided let's just walk in the 642 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,839 Speaker 3: front door instead of trying to go in a side 643 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 3: entrance because they're probably waiting for her at the side entrance, 644 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 3: so we walked right in the front of the Carlisle 645 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 3: completely unnoticed. 646 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: Did he like her? Did he think she was nice? 647 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, he thought she was lovely. He thought she was 648 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 3: very shy. He said she had great legs, and he, 649 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 3: you know, I think he was disappointed that she said no, 650 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 3: but he understood. 651 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: Speaking of overlap, I know he was seeing Daryl Hannah 652 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 1: when he met Carolyn, and so he was balancing those 653 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 1: two relationships for a pretty long time, right. I don't 654 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 1: think he was in both relationships at the same time. 655 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,800 Speaker 3: I think that he and Daryl were on and off, 656 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 3: and I think when they were back on, he you know, 657 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 3: he and Daryl decided to give it. From what I 658 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,600 Speaker 3: understand from his friends, they decided to give it one 659 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 3: more shot, and she was going to move to New 660 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 3: York and it didn't work out. It was sort of 661 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 3: at the end of that relationship. The second time around 662 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 3: that he meets Carolyn and they form a relationship, and 663 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 3: then he and Daryl break up and he ends up 664 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 3: with Carolyn. 665 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about Carolyn Beset because you 666 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:44,800 Speaker 1: got to know her very well. Rose Marie as most 667 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,400 Speaker 1: executive assistants or chiefs of staff do because they have 668 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: intimate knowledge and it's really they talk to you all 669 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:56,279 Speaker 1: the time and are with you constantly. And I think 670 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: most people you know, have demanding jobs become very very 671 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,520 Speaker 1: close to their assistance. What was she like. 672 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 3: She was great. I mean, Carolyn was She was so smart, 673 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 3: she was funny. She was also very protective of John. 674 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,360 Speaker 3: I think she instinctually knew from the beginning when she 675 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 3: saw sort of what his life was like, that he 676 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:20,760 Speaker 3: could be vulnerable, and he could be vulnerable to people 677 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 3: and people who weren't always trustworthy, and she felt this 678 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 3: sort of mama bear instinct of protecting him. And I 679 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 3: think he loved that. I think he loved that she 680 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 3: did that. And I also think that they were, you know, 681 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 3: they were buddies. They were like, you know, they would 682 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 3: go home and giggle and gossip about the day, and 683 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 3: they'd poke fun at each other and tease each other 684 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,360 Speaker 3: all the time. And I think he loved that. I 685 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 3: think he had a relationship with her that was, you know, 686 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 3: kind of also a solid friendship. 687 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:57,240 Speaker 1: In fact, Gary Ginsberg, his friend from law school, told 688 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:01,600 Speaker 1: you Carolyn had all the discernment that John Black like, honey, 689 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: he's playing you, or Honey, you don't need to do that. 690 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: She was the eyes and ears that he sometimes didn't have. 691 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 1: Part of John's charm was he would say yes to 692 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: a lot of things. She brought a certain discipline to that. 693 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: So she was kind of the bad comp it sounds 694 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:20,319 Speaker 1: like in the relationship in some ways she was. 695 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 3: And I think that was hard for her because I 696 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 3: think she got a lot of the heat for when 697 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,360 Speaker 3: he started to say no and when he became a 698 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,479 Speaker 3: little bit, you know, less available to people, especially after 699 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 3: they got married. As you know, many of us know, 700 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,839 Speaker 3: you get married, you're not as out and about, you're 701 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,240 Speaker 3: not as available, you're not hanging out with your buddies 702 00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 3: all the time. And I think I think there was 703 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 3: some resentment from people, you know, towards Carolyn because of that, 704 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 3: because of the fact that she was protective, and also 705 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 3: because of the fact that John was being sort of 706 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:51,800 Speaker 3: taken away from people. 707 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: Right you can see that happening, right, People starting to 708 00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:02,319 Speaker 1: resent her because she brought some as Gary said, discipline 709 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,880 Speaker 1: into the relationship and obviously he couldn't do everything. He 710 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,719 Speaker 1: sounds like he was almost like a Labrador retriever he 711 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 1: was friendly and wanted to please people, but she was 712 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: able to rein him in in a good way. 713 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, And she also was able to say to him like, 714 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 3: why are you doing it? Why are you going? Or 715 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 3: she wanted him to sort of come to it on 716 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:25,399 Speaker 3: his own, but she was sort of the catalyst for that. 717 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 3: And she would very much like say to him I 718 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 3: don't think you should go, and here's why, or I 719 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,040 Speaker 3: don't think you should do that and here's why. And 720 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:37,239 Speaker 3: they had heated discussion sometimes about it. But she was, 721 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 3: you know, she was really it was always about his 722 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:40,520 Speaker 3: best interest. 723 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 1: And after all, she did have a career in pr, 724 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,719 Speaker 1: so she understood how the press worked. So probably her 725 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:52,480 Speaker 1: her council was probably pretty helpful to him at times. 726 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask Liz about the wedding because that 727 00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: photo of them emerging on Cumberland Island off the host 728 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:04,399 Speaker 1: of Georgia is so iconic. Tell us a little bit 729 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 1: about that photo and why it was so captivating. 730 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:10,319 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, you know, as we were reporting the 731 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,720 Speaker 4: story or reporting the details, it was like no detail 732 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:17,240 Speaker 4: was too small because this was such a magical wedding. 733 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,439 Speaker 4: And Rose spoke to go go Ferguson who's the woman 734 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 4: who runs the Gray Field in which is where the 735 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,799 Speaker 4: guests stayed and they had the dinner and she sort 736 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 4: of helped arrange. Just these details were so magical. And 737 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 4: I remember Go Go described Carolyn's dress as she said 738 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 4: she looked like a Kali lily, and I just thought, oh, like, 739 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 4: it's so beautiful and what a perfect description. And then 740 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 4: there's another place where she said it was like cream 741 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 4: was porto for her body, and I thought, wow, that's 742 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 4: an incredible description. So they're all these beautiful details, and 743 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 4: you know, and Rose was very involved in, you know, 744 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 4: in some of that, and there was like this element 745 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 4: of not di I y. But you know, when you 746 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,919 Speaker 4: think about these big weddings that we report. 747 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:04,640 Speaker 1: On and wedding planners and like my daughters go on. 748 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 4: Roses printing out the taking late at night at the 749 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:10,879 Speaker 4: George office and. 750 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 3: Printing out the programs at the George office on the printer, 751 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,240 Speaker 3: you know, at ten o'clock at night, because we couldn't 752 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:19,759 Speaker 3: send them somewhere to be printed. It would we were 753 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 3: afraid it wouldn't get out, you know. And also, as 754 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:27,360 Speaker 3: you probably know, Katie, Cumberland is an island, so everything 755 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:30,200 Speaker 3: has to be shipped there. You can't, you know, it 756 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 3: has to be ferried over. So it had to be 757 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:35,600 Speaker 3: coordinated that way. And I think just the fact that 758 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:37,600 Speaker 3: they decided to do it the way they did it, 759 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 3: which was forty people, their closest friends and family members, 760 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:44,320 Speaker 3: and it really made it special. 761 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: It really made it unique and special. 762 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,520 Speaker 4: One thing I learned from doing this book with Rose 763 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:52,279 Speaker 4: is that Rose is the one who basically chooses that 764 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,960 Speaker 4: photo to be released by that incredible photo that was 765 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:59,080 Speaker 4: so magical. So I mean, you know, most people, as 766 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 4: you know, there'd be pouring over hundreds of photos that 767 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,399 Speaker 4: perhaps it'd be a little air touching or retouching, and 768 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 4: you know, this was definitely not chosen that way. So Rose, 769 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:11,800 Speaker 4: you should share a little bit about how you chose 770 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:12,520 Speaker 4: that photo. 771 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think the photographer Dennis Reggie, I mean, what 772 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,880 Speaker 3: a beautiful, what beautiful images he captured, I mean, he 773 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:24,400 Speaker 3: was phenomenal. That photo of them in the church, that unbelievable. 774 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:28,120 Speaker 3: But I think there were two options. And when I 775 00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 3: spoke to Carolyn after the wedding and she said, which 776 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 3: one do you like? I don't know, I trust you 777 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:40,480 Speaker 3: you can pick it. And I thought, oh, really, Wow, 778 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:43,360 Speaker 3: they were very similar, but there was just something about 779 00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:47,359 Speaker 3: that look on her face of just pure joy, and 780 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 3: he just looked like he was he was blissful, and 781 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,320 Speaker 3: it was just beautiful. It was perfect. 782 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:57,320 Speaker 1: My other favorite picture of them is when she's wearing 783 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:01,919 Speaker 1: sort of a kind of a halter top with some 784 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 1: sort of design on the front and his jacket. 785 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,960 Speaker 3: The choker. Yea, it's the it's part of the design 786 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 3: of the shirt and it's a jumpsup actually, and she 787 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 3: has a jacket. 788 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:16,160 Speaker 1: On and he's behind her. I just think that is 789 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 1: such a beautiful photo. There are many beautiful photos in 790 00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:23,040 Speaker 1: the book. I can't let you go without talking about 791 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:29,760 Speaker 1: sadly their untimely deaths, because this book is coming out 792 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 1: on the twenty fifth anniversary July sixteenth, nineteen ninety nine. 793 00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:40,560 Speaker 1: Rose Marie, you were actually staying at John and Carolyn's apartment, 794 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: and I know Carol Ratziwell, who was married to Anthony 795 00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:52,080 Speaker 1: who passed away from cancer. She called you and said 796 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,799 Speaker 1: they hadn't arrived yet. What did you think when you 797 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 1: got that call. 798 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 3: I honestly thought Carol was mistaken, and I thought, well, 799 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 3: they went somewhere else, or they went they just haven't 800 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 3: arrived yet. They left later. Maybe they stopped in Nantucket 801 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 3: because they had some friends who were going to be 802 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:13,439 Speaker 3: in Nantucket that night, and I thought maybe they stopped there. 803 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:18,600 Speaker 3: I never in a million years imagined it was unimaginable 804 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:21,520 Speaker 3: to think that they were gone, and I did not 805 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,239 Speaker 3: think that at all. I just thought it was some 806 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:26,680 Speaker 3: sort of fluke, some sort of you know, it will 807 00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:29,319 Speaker 3: resolve itself in the next few hours. And I was 808 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:33,440 Speaker 3: actually thinking to myself when Carol said she called the Coastguard. 809 00:45:33,520 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 3: I thought, oh God, he's going to kill me if 810 00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:42,680 Speaker 3: this becomes a crazy media frenzy, you know story. That's 811 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:45,879 Speaker 3: what I kept thinking. You know, he's going to think, 812 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:49,839 Speaker 3: I'm he's going to think we've all overreacted and gone 813 00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:54,400 Speaker 3: gone mad when he finally reserved, when they finally resurfaced 814 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:56,080 Speaker 3: and they're like, what did you do? What are you 815 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:59,799 Speaker 3: talking about? We're fine. I never imagined that it would 816 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:02,759 Speaker 3: be that it would be that it was. It was 817 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:07,879 Speaker 3: literally unimaginable. And I remember it was we were into 818 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,760 Speaker 3: the next day and I still wasn't, you know, totally there. 819 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:17,360 Speaker 3: And then I think it was Saturday night. I spoke 820 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:23,200 Speaker 3: to his cousin Bobby, and he said he must think 821 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 3: somebody must have said something to him, like Rose doesn't 822 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:29,520 Speaker 3: think they're missing or they're gone, or you know, she 823 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 3: still thinks that there might be a chance. And he said, 824 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 3: you know, Rose Marie, he said John's not coming back. 825 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:39,279 Speaker 3: And I just thought, oh my god. I mean, I 826 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:42,680 Speaker 3: could cry now just thinking about it. But it was 827 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:45,560 Speaker 3: just there was a finality to that. And he was 828 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:48,880 Speaker 3: so lovely and so sweet to me, and so was 829 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 3: his wife Mary, and they were really really amazing to 830 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:56,439 Speaker 3: me throughout the whole thing. But when he said that 831 00:46:56,560 --> 00:47:01,480 Speaker 3: John's not coming back, I just thought it was it 832 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:06,319 Speaker 3: really struck me, and it shocked me, even though I 833 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:08,120 Speaker 3: guess on some level I knew. 834 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 1: You had a very heartbreaking conversation with Carolyn's mom. Was 835 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:15,239 Speaker 1: that on that Friday night? 836 00:47:15,800 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was at about one o'clock in the morning, 837 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:23,440 Speaker 3: so technically Saturday morning and her maybe it was midnight, 838 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:26,600 Speaker 3: I can't remember, but she called and she had obviously 839 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 3: heard or Carol had called her. I don't remember how 840 00:47:30,880 --> 00:47:35,319 Speaker 3: she was alerted, but she was just panic stricken and 841 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:40,240 Speaker 3: I was trying anything I could to give her hope 842 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:43,040 Speaker 3: and to keep her, to keep her calm because I 843 00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:45,799 Speaker 3: didn't want her to panic either, and I just said, 844 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:50,359 Speaker 3: I'm getting I'm trying to find out as much as 845 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,480 Speaker 3: I can. Please don't panic, don't think the worst. I'll 846 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:56,680 Speaker 3: keep calling you. I think I was calling her every 847 00:47:56,760 --> 00:48:00,400 Speaker 3: fifteen minutes with any update I could give her. She 848 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:02,279 Speaker 3: was panicked, as any mother would be. 849 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:06,800 Speaker 1: She said something to you that just broke my heart 850 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:07,680 Speaker 1: when I read it. 851 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:12,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, she said I told him never to take two 852 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:14,560 Speaker 3: of my daughters up at the same time. 853 00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:17,320 Speaker 1: Because Carolyn was with her sister Lauren. 854 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:22,040 Speaker 3: Yes, Lauren was getting a ride to She was staying 855 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:25,080 Speaker 3: with friends on Martha's Vineyard that weekend, and they were 856 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:28,040 Speaker 3: going to drop Lauren in Martha's Vineyard and then had 857 00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:30,359 Speaker 3: Tyana's for Rory's wedding next day. 858 00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 1: She was really upset and angry at John. Do you 859 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:39,480 Speaker 1: know if she had that conversation with him, or was 860 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:43,720 Speaker 1: that your only knowledge of her the agreement she thought 861 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:45,839 Speaker 1: she had made with him. I don't. 862 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 3: I don't have any knowledge of the conversation that she 863 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 3: had with John. I just I just know what she 864 00:48:51,640 --> 00:48:52,960 Speaker 3: said to me that night. 865 00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:58,880 Speaker 1: When you heard that. What was your reaction, you know, Katie, 866 00:48:58,920 --> 00:49:02,080 Speaker 1: at the time, I did. It didn't register with me 867 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:04,759 Speaker 1: because I was so I was. 868 00:49:04,719 --> 00:49:07,879 Speaker 3: Trying so hard to keep her calm and to make 869 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,640 Speaker 3: sure that she was okay, and to try and find 870 00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:13,520 Speaker 3: out as much as I could. And like I said, 871 00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:16,440 Speaker 3: it hadn't really registered with me yet that they were gone. 872 00:49:16,719 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 3: I just I didn't. I really didn't think they were gone. 873 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:24,600 Speaker 1: Did you have any dealings with Carolyn and Lauren's mother 874 00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:25,400 Speaker 1: after that? 875 00:49:26,480 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. We stayed in touch for a few years, and 876 00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:32,080 Speaker 3: then you know, life starts to happen and go on. 877 00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:35,360 Speaker 3: And I think for Anne Freeman, it was difficult for 878 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:38,000 Speaker 3: her to stay in touch with us, with her friend, 879 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:42,000 Speaker 3: with Carolyn's friends, and with you know, John's friends and 880 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:45,640 Speaker 3: people that she knew, because it was a reminder, and 881 00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:48,319 Speaker 3: I think that had to be really difficult for her. 882 00:49:49,160 --> 00:49:52,040 Speaker 1: Was she angry at him? I would be furious. I 883 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,000 Speaker 1: think I'm sure she was. I can't see how she 884 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:59,320 Speaker 1: wouldn't be. I can't imagine any mother not being angry 885 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:03,640 Speaker 1: with the person who was flying the plane in that situation. 886 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:04,680 Speaker 3: How could you not be? 887 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:09,560 Speaker 1: In the book, it makes pretty clear that maybe John 888 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:13,840 Speaker 1: shouldn't have been flying that plane that night, that it 889 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:18,799 Speaker 1: was late, that it got dark and foggy, and as 890 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:23,319 Speaker 1: he turned into the ocean after hugging the coastline on 891 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:28,719 Speaker 1: the flight, that he needed to rely on instruments, and 892 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:34,239 Speaker 1: yet he hadn't had enough instrument training. Apparently, according to 893 00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:37,920 Speaker 1: reports after the crash, he'd only completed fifty percent of 894 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:43,919 Speaker 1: formal instrument training. So was he being irresponsible that night? 895 00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:46,879 Speaker 1: I hate to say that, because no, I understand. Here 896 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:48,360 Speaker 1: to defend himself. 897 00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:53,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, I understand, and I think I think what my 898 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,520 Speaker 3: take and I'm not an expert, but I think what 899 00:50:55,640 --> 00:50:58,560 Speaker 3: my take on it was was that the intention was 900 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:03,040 Speaker 3: always to fly at a certain time and leave at 901 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:05,000 Speaker 3: a certain time and get there at a certain time. 902 00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:09,320 Speaker 3: And I don't think John intentionally went into the situation 903 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:12,600 Speaker 3: thinking I don't care what the weather is, I don't 904 00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:15,720 Speaker 3: care what I don't think that that was his mindset. Ever. 905 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 3: I think that as the circumstances unfolded, he found himself 906 00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:25,279 Speaker 3: in that situation. And I know that he did check 907 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:28,880 Speaker 3: the weather always before he left, he checked a website 908 00:51:28,880 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 3: called Pilot Brief that would give detailed updated information on 909 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:36,080 Speaker 3: the weather for pilots. And I think by the time 910 00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:39,719 Speaker 3: he got to the airport, and probably even after he 911 00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:44,560 Speaker 3: took off, or shortly before he took off, the weather 912 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:49,280 Speaker 3: situation had turned into something that was dangerous. 913 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:55,240 Speaker 1: Carolyn Bessett was somewhat vilified for her role in making 914 00:51:55,360 --> 00:51:59,080 Speaker 1: John late in the aftermath of the crash. Do you 915 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 1: feel like she was treated unfairly. 916 00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:05,120 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's ridiculous to think that Carolyn was 917 00:52:05,160 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 3: responsible for that. 918 00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:08,960 Speaker 1: I mean, it wasn't that sort of circulating. 919 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was something about matching a swatch to a 920 00:52:12,239 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 3: dress and nail polish. Carolyn would never something about lavender 921 00:52:16,120 --> 00:52:18,520 Speaker 3: nail polish. First of all, Carolyn would never wear left 922 00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:19,240 Speaker 3: or nail polish. 923 00:52:19,320 --> 00:52:21,319 Speaker 1: But that aside. 924 00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:24,120 Speaker 3: They all left at the same time, Carolyn, you know, 925 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:26,160 Speaker 3: I called her a car at the same time to 926 00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:29,439 Speaker 3: pick her up. At the same time Lauren and John 927 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:33,080 Speaker 3: were leaving Manhattan, So it's not like anyone got to 928 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:35,719 Speaker 3: the airport and was waiting for someone else. They all 929 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:40,920 Speaker 3: arrived around the same time. The traffic was hllacious by 930 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:44,680 Speaker 3: the time they left, and I think that the weather 931 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:49,640 Speaker 3: had started to turn. But it wasn't clear when he 932 00:52:49,680 --> 00:52:51,319 Speaker 3: got to the airport and when he was ready to 933 00:52:51,360 --> 00:52:53,719 Speaker 3: take off that the weather had gotten so bad it 934 00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:57,839 Speaker 3: wasn't clear to him. But Carolyn being late, she wasn't late. 935 00:52:58,080 --> 00:52:59,760 Speaker 3: They all arrived around the same time. 936 00:53:00,239 --> 00:53:02,800 Speaker 1: Why do you think that happened? Was that a continuation 937 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:07,880 Speaker 1: of sort of the resentment some people had toward her, 938 00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:11,919 Speaker 1: or that she was cramping his style, or you know, 939 00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:14,040 Speaker 1: I don't know where did that come from. 940 00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:16,640 Speaker 3: I don't know if it's that, or if it's that 941 00:53:16,680 --> 00:53:19,520 Speaker 3: people felt like there needed to be a reason because 942 00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:26,200 Speaker 3: it seemed so unimaginable, it seemed so heartbreaking, and for 943 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:28,560 Speaker 3: it just to have been an accident sometimes is not 944 00:53:28,719 --> 00:53:29,360 Speaker 3: enough for people. 945 00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:32,240 Speaker 1: So there needs to be well, if this hadn't happened. 946 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:35,440 Speaker 3: I mean, we all do that circumstances in our lives, 947 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:38,040 Speaker 3: you know, we look back and say, well, if only 948 00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:40,279 Speaker 3: I had done this, or if only I had done that, 949 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:42,719 Speaker 3: or maybe it would have turned out better, maybe I 950 00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:45,080 Speaker 3: wouldn't have been in this situation. And I think people 951 00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:49,640 Speaker 3: need a reason why something like this happens because it's 952 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:51,440 Speaker 3: so catastrophic. 953 00:53:51,560 --> 00:53:55,560 Speaker 1: Liz, several people in the book intimate that John and 954 00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:58,320 Speaker 1: Carolyn's marriage was not in a great place in the 955 00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:02,160 Speaker 1: last year or so before they were killed. From reading 956 00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:06,480 Speaker 1: and talking to people, what do you think about that assessment. 957 00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:09,239 Speaker 4: Well, they were under an incredible amount of stress, you know, 958 00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:12,760 Speaker 4: in those last few months, right Anthony's death and pending death, 959 00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:18,200 Speaker 4: difficulties at George, trying to find funding, difficulties in the marriage, 960 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:23,120 Speaker 4: and then John's also thinking about politics at the same time. 961 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:26,040 Speaker 5: So they were, right. 962 00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,160 Speaker 4: From speaking to a lot of friends, they were going 963 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:30,920 Speaker 4: through a difficult time. But you know what's so interesting 964 00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:32,759 Speaker 4: about them, and every time I write about them, is 965 00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:35,400 Speaker 4: that Carolyn gets on the plane, you know, and she 966 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:38,720 Speaker 4: is going to the family wedding with John and makes 967 00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:43,759 Speaker 4: this gesture of reconciliation. And I think there was one 968 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:48,520 Speaker 4: friend of John's who said this was pulled to us 969 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:51,040 Speaker 4: by another friend that said that if somebody says that 970 00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:53,200 Speaker 4: they know what was going to happen in the marriage, 971 00:54:53,239 --> 00:54:55,680 Speaker 4: they're lying because even John and Carolyn didn't know. 972 00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:58,120 Speaker 5: So I just try to keep an open. 973 00:54:57,840 --> 00:55:00,120 Speaker 4: Mind, you know, as we were writing about it, and 974 00:55:00,560 --> 00:55:04,080 Speaker 4: the truth is, we don't know. But she makes a gesture, 975 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:06,360 Speaker 4: a very big one, I think, to go on the 976 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:09,360 Speaker 4: plane and to be at the family wedding, and that 977 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:10,600 Speaker 4: was very significant. 978 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:14,360 Speaker 1: Rose Marie, I think you're in probably the best position 979 00:55:14,680 --> 00:55:18,719 Speaker 1: to tell us about their relationship. What was going on 980 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:20,040 Speaker 1: at that time. 981 00:55:20,560 --> 00:55:23,720 Speaker 3: I think they were having difficulties. As Liis mentioned, Anthony 982 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,640 Speaker 3: was dying, there was the pressure from to find investors 983 00:55:27,640 --> 00:55:31,320 Speaker 3: for George magazine. They were looking to leave the city 984 00:55:31,360 --> 00:55:33,240 Speaker 3: they wanted. I mean, they were staying in the city, 985 00:55:33,280 --> 00:55:35,800 Speaker 3: but they were looking for a house outside the city 986 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:40,319 Speaker 3: because they were talking about starting a family. And I 987 00:55:40,400 --> 00:55:44,120 Speaker 3: think that there were I mean, the way I look 988 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:47,960 Speaker 3: at it, they had a couple of weeks of you know, 989 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:53,920 Speaker 3: fighting and not being on the same page, but they 990 00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:56,880 Speaker 3: still were going to look at this this house outside 991 00:55:56,920 --> 00:55:59,440 Speaker 3: of New York. They were still they still wanted that 992 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:01,839 Speaker 3: appointment at the real estate agent. And I think that 993 00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:06,000 Speaker 3: they the fact that they decided to do marriage counseling 994 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:10,040 Speaker 3: was a sign that they wanted this to work, and 995 00:56:10,080 --> 00:56:13,560 Speaker 3: they wanted and I don't know that there's a marriage 996 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:18,600 Speaker 3: that exists without difficulties, especially three years in with all 997 00:56:18,640 --> 00:56:22,120 Speaker 3: of the pressures that they had, including how public their 998 00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:24,759 Speaker 3: lives were. And I think they were trying to rain 999 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:27,719 Speaker 3: things in and get on the same page. But yeah, 1000 00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:30,680 Speaker 3: they were. It was difficult, you know, the last few 1001 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:35,680 Speaker 3: weeks were tumultuous and difficult, but they were together. 1002 00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,839 Speaker 1: What were their major differences in terms of how they 1003 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:43,399 Speaker 1: lived their lives. Was John more comfortable kind of in 1004 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:47,840 Speaker 1: the spotlight and Carolyn less so or what do you 1005 00:56:47,880 --> 00:56:51,440 Speaker 1: think were the differences that were creating this strain. 1006 00:56:52,520 --> 00:56:55,480 Speaker 3: I think one of the major differences was that John 1007 00:56:55,600 --> 00:56:58,279 Speaker 3: had this, oh, suck it up and get on with 1008 00:56:58,320 --> 00:57:03,359 Speaker 3: it attitude, and Carolyn wanted to be heard and understood 1009 00:57:03,600 --> 00:57:07,240 Speaker 3: and she wanted some empathy for what she was going through, 1010 00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:11,520 Speaker 3: and John saw that as Oh, come on, people have 1011 00:57:11,600 --> 00:57:13,520 Speaker 3: it so much more, you know, like your life's not 1012 00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:15,319 Speaker 3: so bad, you know that kind of thing. I mean, 1013 00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:17,080 Speaker 3: my husband does that to me. And I wanted to choke. 1014 00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:20,880 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, it sounds like a typical Yeah, 1015 00:57:21,120 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 1: it kind of sounds like a Venus and Mars type thing. 1016 00:57:24,080 --> 00:57:27,000 Speaker 3: Yes, it absolutely was. But it was also the fact 1017 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:29,960 Speaker 3: that I think what complicated it was that it was 1018 00:57:30,040 --> 00:57:34,160 Speaker 3: frustrating because John had lived his whole life that way. 1019 00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:36,960 Speaker 3: He didn't know it any other way. So even if 1020 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:39,560 Speaker 3: he wanted to be able to explain to her how 1021 00:57:39,560 --> 00:57:42,479 Speaker 3: to deal with it, he didn't have a playbook because 1022 00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:44,400 Speaker 3: he didn't know it any other way. And it was 1023 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:47,400 Speaker 3: frustrating to her because she wanted him to sort of 1024 00:57:47,680 --> 00:57:49,480 Speaker 3: take her by the hand a little bit and say, 1025 00:57:49,920 --> 00:57:51,320 Speaker 3: I get it, it's crazy. 1026 00:57:51,720 --> 00:57:53,760 Speaker 4: I wanted to add as you were talking, was I 1027 00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:56,160 Speaker 4: was remembering, because one thing that surprised us as we 1028 00:57:56,160 --> 00:57:58,280 Speaker 4: were doing these interviews is that we ended up talking 1029 00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:02,720 Speaker 4: to some guys who work at a place called Croll Security. 1030 00:58:03,120 --> 00:58:05,600 Speaker 4: And this is really at the end of John's life, 1031 00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:09,520 Speaker 4: and they're looking for more security, and they actually speak 1032 00:58:09,560 --> 00:58:12,800 Speaker 4: openly about wanting to have a family, and by John 1033 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:15,320 Speaker 4: never had security, and rose Aways said, right, because he 1034 00:58:15,360 --> 00:58:18,920 Speaker 4: thought that that would attract more attention. So he doesn't 1035 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:21,840 Speaker 4: travel with any but there's they make a real serious 1036 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:26,280 Speaker 4: effort to they meet with this it's called Kroll Associates 1037 00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:26,720 Speaker 4: or something. 1038 00:58:26,720 --> 00:58:30,080 Speaker 1: And then yes, they're a famous security company in New York. 1039 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:33,760 Speaker 4: Yes, they were speaking with them. And then they also 1040 00:58:33,840 --> 00:58:36,960 Speaker 4: went back to one of their colleagues at the DA's 1041 00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:40,480 Speaker 4: office to possibly open up an investigation into some paparazzi 1042 00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:41,760 Speaker 4: that have been following Carolyn. 1043 00:58:42,360 --> 00:58:44,040 Speaker 5: So they were taking real steps. 1044 00:58:44,040 --> 00:58:45,880 Speaker 4: And I don't know if you're talking about a family 1045 00:58:46,200 --> 00:58:50,000 Speaker 4: talking about taking security. This is that very summer, so 1046 00:58:51,200 --> 00:58:53,720 Speaker 4: you know they were they were also contemplating, you know, 1047 00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:57,000 Speaker 4: lifestyle change, having a family. This is all happening at 1048 00:58:57,000 --> 00:58:57,960 Speaker 4: the same time. 1049 00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:01,280 Speaker 1: So sad. Where do you think they would have bought 1050 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:03,000 Speaker 1: a house, Rose, Marie? 1051 00:59:03,360 --> 00:59:08,400 Speaker 3: They were looking outside the city. Near Sneeden's Landing was 1052 00:59:08,440 --> 00:59:10,640 Speaker 3: one place they were looking, and then there were a 1053 00:59:10,640 --> 00:59:13,080 Speaker 3: couple of other places I don't remember. There were I 1054 00:59:13,080 --> 00:59:15,480 Speaker 3: think one or two other areas that they were looking 1055 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:17,280 Speaker 3: in outside the city. But one of the things about 1056 00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:21,240 Speaker 3: Sneeden's Landing that was that they looked at because John 1057 00:59:21,320 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 3: could kayak across the Hudson to the train and be 1058 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:29,240 Speaker 3: in the city, and they wanted to be near the water. 1059 00:59:30,480 --> 00:59:33,120 Speaker 1: He was such a jock. I remember when I did 1060 00:59:33,120 --> 00:59:36,120 Speaker 1: that interview he rode his bike to the Today Show 1061 00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:38,560 Speaker 1: studios and I was like, what. 1062 00:59:39,800 --> 00:59:43,000 Speaker 3: He He did that to all of the Robinhood benefits too, 1063 00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:44,920 Speaker 3: where he would ride his bike and chain it up 1064 00:59:44,920 --> 00:59:48,280 Speaker 3: and tuckfeedout and cod. He also rode his bike with 1065 00:59:48,320 --> 00:59:50,640 Speaker 3: his roller blades on so he could have his roller 1066 00:59:50,640 --> 00:59:52,800 Speaker 3: blades with him at the office, so he would ride 1067 00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:55,920 Speaker 3: his bike with the roller blades on, and then not 1068 00:59:55,920 --> 00:59:59,560 Speaker 3: not on his feet, no, no, on his feet. Really yeah, 1069 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:02,240 Speaker 3: I was actually trying to find a picture of that 1070 01:00:02,360 --> 01:00:04,320 Speaker 3: for the book where he's riding his bike with his 1071 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:05,200 Speaker 3: rollerblades on. 1072 01:00:05,680 --> 01:00:08,680 Speaker 1: But you couldn't find it now, but I saw it. 1073 01:00:09,960 --> 01:00:12,960 Speaker 1: If John and Carolyn were alive today, they would be 1074 01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:15,280 Speaker 1: sixty four and fifty eight. 1075 01:00:15,960 --> 01:00:16,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1076 01:00:17,000 --> 01:00:20,400 Speaker 1: Wow, it's so sad to me to hear that they 1077 01:00:20,400 --> 01:00:25,280 Speaker 1: were thinking about starting a family and moving and embarking 1078 01:00:25,320 --> 01:00:29,040 Speaker 1: on this new chapter in their lives despite all the 1079 01:00:29,080 --> 01:00:33,160 Speaker 1: difficulties of being public figures talking to a security company 1080 01:00:33,240 --> 01:00:37,480 Speaker 1: about the safety of their future children. What do you 1081 01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:40,400 Speaker 1: think would have happened? How do you think their lives 1082 01:00:40,400 --> 01:00:45,480 Speaker 1: would have unfolded in these twenty five years since their deaths. 1083 01:00:46,040 --> 01:00:49,640 Speaker 3: That's a really long answer, but I think, you know, 1084 01:00:49,640 --> 01:00:53,160 Speaker 3: I think it's difficult to say and predict, but I 1085 01:00:53,200 --> 01:00:56,160 Speaker 3: can't imagine what their lives and mind would have been 1086 01:00:56,200 --> 01:00:59,800 Speaker 3: like with social media, that's for sure. That's one thing. 1087 01:00:59,840 --> 01:01:01,640 Speaker 3: And the other thing is, you know, I think that 1088 01:01:01,720 --> 01:01:05,640 Speaker 3: they were you know, we talked about the eq of 1089 01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:10,120 Speaker 3: John and hers was just as off the charts as 1090 01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:13,160 Speaker 3: his was, and I think that they would have, you know, 1091 01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:16,800 Speaker 3: navigated their lives in a way that was manageable for 1092 01:01:16,880 --> 01:01:17,479 Speaker 3: both of them. 1093 01:01:18,120 --> 01:01:20,320 Speaker 1: Liz, do you think about what. 1094 01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:24,400 Speaker 4: If, how could you not think about what if, especially 1095 01:01:24,480 --> 01:01:27,520 Speaker 4: in these times, you know. And I think I think 1096 01:01:27,720 --> 01:01:30,720 Speaker 4: that John really represented a sort of an idealism and 1097 01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:36,200 Speaker 4: as did his parents for a lot of people, and. 1098 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:38,040 Speaker 5: Almost that seems. 1099 01:01:37,760 --> 01:01:40,440 Speaker 4: Like like a foreign idea now I don't really think 1100 01:01:40,440 --> 01:01:42,600 Speaker 4: about right There's not a lot of idealism right now. 1101 01:01:42,600 --> 01:01:46,480 Speaker 4: And I think John really loved his country. So just 1102 01:01:46,560 --> 01:01:48,800 Speaker 4: as we wrote this book, you know, I did think. 1103 01:01:48,640 --> 01:01:51,760 Speaker 5: About that, and of course I think about what if. 1104 01:01:51,800 --> 01:01:55,120 Speaker 4: You know, he had this he just represented something so hopeful, 1105 01:01:55,720 --> 01:01:58,360 Speaker 4: you know, something so hopeful that was attached to him, 1106 01:01:58,480 --> 01:02:01,000 Speaker 4: like you felt good and you saw him. He was 1107 01:02:01,120 --> 01:02:03,280 Speaker 4: seemed like such a good person, and he had a 1108 01:02:03,320 --> 01:02:07,200 Speaker 4: real gift for friendship and a real empathy towards people. 1109 01:02:07,280 --> 01:02:09,160 Speaker 4: And I think you know what Rose was saying about 1110 01:02:09,160 --> 01:02:10,919 Speaker 4: going to the person in the corner of the room, 1111 01:02:11,920 --> 01:02:15,720 Speaker 4: or whether it's visiting Mike Tyson in prison when no 1112 01:02:15,720 --> 01:02:16,479 Speaker 4: one else will. 1113 01:02:16,640 --> 01:02:18,480 Speaker 5: So I do think about what if. 1114 01:02:18,720 --> 01:02:22,520 Speaker 4: And and he was a he represented a lot of hope, 1115 01:02:22,560 --> 01:02:24,600 Speaker 4: and I think even as we wrote about him, I mean, 1116 01:02:24,600 --> 01:02:27,680 Speaker 4: it was bittersweet to do this book, but. 1117 01:02:29,840 --> 01:02:30,880 Speaker 5: It made me. 1118 01:02:30,920 --> 01:02:33,880 Speaker 4: Hopeful in a way that that a person like him existed. 1119 01:02:34,840 --> 01:02:35,400 Speaker 1: That he was. 1120 01:02:35,840 --> 01:02:37,800 Speaker 4: I really felt that he was a really good soul 1121 01:02:38,160 --> 01:02:39,080 Speaker 4: and a good person. 1122 01:02:39,800 --> 01:02:40,800 Speaker 5: I hope that comes through. 1123 01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:45,720 Speaker 1: The book is called JFK. Junior, An intimate oral biography 1124 01:02:45,920 --> 01:02:50,120 Speaker 1: Rosemary Trencio and Liz McNeil. Thank you both for talking 1125 01:02:50,160 --> 01:02:54,000 Speaker 1: to me about it. It's a real trip down memory 1126 01:02:54,120 --> 01:02:57,880 Speaker 1: laying in so many ways, and it's a very loving, 1127 01:02:58,240 --> 01:03:05,240 Speaker 1: but honest I think portrayal of this man we lost 1128 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:10,080 Speaker 1: way too soon, and of course his beautiful wife and 1129 01:03:10,600 --> 01:03:14,080 Speaker 1: her sister, and I always say I don't want Lauren 1130 01:03:14,680 --> 01:03:18,480 Speaker 1: Beset to be forgotten because she was on the plane 1131 01:03:18,520 --> 01:03:19,240 Speaker 1: that night too. 1132 01:03:19,920 --> 01:03:22,440 Speaker 3: Thank you so much, Katie, Thank you for having us, 1133 01:03:22,520 --> 01:03:24,720 Speaker 3: and thank you for participating in the book. 1134 01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:35,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. Everyone. If you have a question for me, 1135 01:03:35,520 --> 01:03:38,000 Speaker 1: a subject you want us to cover, or you want 1136 01:03:38,040 --> 01:03:41,400 Speaker 1: to share your thoughts about how you navigate this crazy world, 1137 01:03:41,760 --> 01:03:44,680 Speaker 1: reach out. You can leave a short message at six 1138 01:03:44,800 --> 01:03:48,320 Speaker 1: oh nine five point two five to five five, or 1139 01:03:48,440 --> 01:03:50,959 Speaker 1: you can send me a DM on Instagram. I would 1140 01:03:51,040 --> 01:03:54,040 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. Next Question is a production 1141 01:03:54,200 --> 01:03:58,680 Speaker 1: of iHeartMedia and Katie Kuric Media. The executive producers are Me, 1142 01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:03,760 Speaker 1: Katie Couric, and Courtney LTZ. Our supervising producer is Ryan Martz, 1143 01:04:04,320 --> 01:04:09,160 Speaker 1: and our producers are Adriana Fazzio and Meredith Barnes. Julian 1144 01:04:09,240 --> 01:04:14,360 Speaker 1: Weller composed our theme music. For more information about today's episode, 1145 01:04:14,560 --> 01:04:16,919 Speaker 1: or to sign up for my newsletter, wake Up Call, 1146 01:04:17,360 --> 01:04:20,280 Speaker 1: go to the description in the podcast app, or visit 1147 01:04:20,360 --> 01:04:23,560 Speaker 1: us at Katiecuric dot com. You can also find me 1148 01:04:23,640 --> 01:04:27,360 Speaker 1: on Instagram and all my social media channels. For more 1149 01:04:27,400 --> 01:04:32,720 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1150 01:04:32,760 --> 01:04:34,880 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows,