Carole Radziwill recently opened up about a heartbreaking period, sharing details of her "last summer" with close friends John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Her reflections are a central part of CNN’s compelling documentary series, American Prince.
This three-part series looks closely at John’s life. It explores his lifelong journey with his family’s huge legacy. It also covers his whirlwind romance and marriage to Carolyn. Both tragically died in a plane crash near Martha’s Vineyard in 1999. Carolyn’s sister, Lauren Bessette, was also lost in the accident.
In this deep dive into John’s story, Carole, known from Real Housewives of New York City, also spoke about her own marriage. She was married to John’s first cousin, Anthony Radziwill. Anthony died from cancer less than a month after John and the Bessette sisters passed away. Anthony’s mother, Lee Radziwiłł, was Jackie Kennedy’s sister.
Carole shared a powerful thought she had when John and Carolyn died. "The only thing I could think of was: I’m going to be the only one [of us] left," she said.
American Prince debuted on CNN on Saturday, August 9, at 9 p.m. ET. Here are some of the most touching things Carole revealed in the show:
The “John John” Myth
A long-held Kennedy family myth was cleared up early in American Prince. In the first episode, titled "The Boy Who Would Be King," Carole casually denied a common nickname. She said no one in John’s family ever called him "John John." John was known to dislike the nickname. Still, Carole’s statement was surprising. The media used "John John" to describe him his whole life.
"The whole ‘John John’ thing, I don’t know where that came from," the RHONY star admitted. "I think it was a press thing. Something happened that made people think maybe his family called him ‘John John’."
She then made it clear: "Some people just started saying [‘John John’]. They wanted to suggest they were close to him. I assure you, his sister did not call him ‘John John’. His mother, no one in his extended family, not even distant cousins, ever called him ‘John John’."
Office Romance
Carole met her husband, Anthony, when they both worked at ABC News. They eventually married in August 1994. At first, Carole and Anthony worried about their relationship at work.
"Anthony and I started dating eight months after I met him in Los Angeles," she remembered. "We were together, kind of casually. We both worked at ABC News. We thought, ‘Let’s keep this quiet.’ But, of course, it was the ’90s. Everyone was hooking up at work!"
A True “Girl’s Girl”
Carole remembered meeting Carolyn and connecting with her right away. This happened early in the relationship between the former Calvin Klein public relations agent and John.
"She was remarkable in many ways," Carole said about her friend. "We were in our twenties back then. She was the first girl I met who was, like that overused expression, ‘a girl’s girl.’ She was so beautiful."
The author of What Remains admitted that she and Carolyn never quite fit in with the rest of the Kennedy family.
"It’s a big family. Like all big families, there’s a lot of politics and quirks you just have to learn. Perhaps John’s family more than others," Carole said in the second episode of American Prince. "There were higher expectations. [Carolyn] didn’t play that game. She didn’t suck up to anyone, no one in his family."
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1995. Rose Hartman/Getty Images
She added, "Carolyn and I came from very similar backgrounds. I grew up from scratch, in a working-class family in upstate New York. Her mother was a single mom raising her three daughters in a working-class neighborhood. I think that’s why we felt a true sisterhood. We were the real outsiders."
Two Fights Against Cancer
Anthony’s testicular cancer came back just before his wedding to Carole. This happened at the same time his aunt, Jackie Kennedy, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1994. Jackie passed away in May 1994. Anthony died from cancer in August 1999.
"It was very traumatic," Carole shared. "At that time, my fiancé was fighting cancer."
Carole remembered a heartbreaking phone call. Anthony and Jackie tried to tell each other about their diagnoses.
"I remember him saying, ‘Well, you go first.’ Then, [Jackie] said, ‘I have bad news, I’ve been diagnosed with lymphoma’," Carole recounted. "The end [for Jackie] came pretty quickly. I remember it was Sunday, we were all together, and she passed away on Thursday."
A Down-to-Earth Wedding
A big part of American Prince‘s second episode showed how John and Carolyn arranged a private wedding. It took place on Cumberland Island, Georgia, in September 1996. Friends and family confirmed that the couple invited only a few people from each part of the Kennedy family. This kept paparazzi from finding out.
"[John] was basically the most famous man in the world. As a couple, they were very sought after," Carole noted. "They got married on a small island. There wasn’t a single photographer… They just wanted to keep it private for a little longer."
Carole joked that the newlyweds chose a completely do-it-yourself approach. There were no fancy things anyone would expect from a Kennedy wedding.
"Outside the church, there was pig poop and horse manure everywhere," Carole said with a laugh. "[Carolyn] came from the fashion world. He was passionate about magazines. It’s funny because his sister [Caroline Kennedy] gave them a T-shirt for their wedding, and it said… ‘Politics + Fashion = Fashion’."
A Cryptic Wedding Toast
An unsettling moment happened at the wedding reception. Carolyn’s mother, Ann Marie, gave a toast that turned out to be prophetic, according to Carole.
"Carolyn’s mom really loved John. But when she gave the toast, which I will never forget, at the end she said, ‘I hope my daughter has the strength for this’," Carole revealed. "Everyone, kind of, paused for a moment. I think even Carolyn, in her own way, underestimated the impact of marrying John and entering that family."
A Tough Last Year
Carolyn and John often ran into paparazzi during their last year. Carole remembered that John usually handled these encounters well. He had dealt with it his whole life. Carolyn, however, was much more shaken.
"John couldn’t understand it. Being a very privileged man, he had no idea what the press would say about her," Carole admitted.
Carolyn came up with a plan. She would wear the same simple outfit in public again and again. She hoped this would stop photographers from following her. But even this clever idea did not lessen media interest. A very sad moment happened when Carole was on the phone with Carolyn. This was during Princess Diana’s funeral in August 1997. Diana died from injuries after a car chase with paparazzi in Paris.
"It was very powerful," Carole said. "Princess Diana was practically our age. The way she died, being literally hounded to death by paparazzi. That lesson certainly wasn’t lost on Carolyn."
The Plane Crash
John flew a private plane, with Carolyn and her sister Lauren on board. They were going to his cousin Rory Kennedy’s wedding in Martha’s Vineyard in July 1999. The plane crashed shortly before landing. All three were later confirmed to have died in the tragic accident.
The third and final episode of American Prince, "The Final Summer," included honest memories from Carole and other friends. They talked about how they learned of the crash.
"It was one of those calls you dread. Right away, you know something is wrong," Carole said. "It was 11, almost midnight on Friday. John’s friend… was calling from Hyannis airport, saying, ‘They’re not here. Are they with you?’ Even twenty-five years later, I still feel that knot in my stomach."
Carole Radziwill in February 2025 in New York City Dia Dipasupil/WireImage
Carole used her skills as a journalist. She called every agency that might have information about her friends.
"Every call I made, it was more bad news," she said. "I called Carolyn’s mom to tell her they hadn’t arrived. The plane was half missing. How do you tell a mother that?"
Carole’s husband, Anthony, was terminally ill with cancer. He finally got out of bed. He was shocked to see dozens of notes his wife had used to record her makeshift investigation.
"He looked at it. It was just… sadness," she remembered. "I remember he just put his head in his hands. It was like he couldn’t even cry."
A Summer of Heartbreak
In the documentary’s final moments, Carole spoke about how painful it was. She lost three of her closest loved ones within weeks.
"It was very cruel for Anthony to have to see [his cousin’s death]," she stated. "John and Anthony were true brothers. The only thing I could think of was, ‘I’m going to be the only one left’."
Anthony died on August 10, 1999. This was less than a month after John and the Bessette sisters passed away on July 16.