Did JFK Jr. and Michael Berman really get into a physical fight? What we know about the blowout (...

Ryan Murphy's &34;Love Story&34; shows the pair coming to blows behind the scenes of the politics and culture magazine. Did JFK Jr. and Michael Berman really get into a physical fight? What we know about the blowout (and how Carolyn factored in) Ryan Murphy's &34;Love Story&34; shows the pair coming to blows behind the scenes of the politics and culture magazine. By Randall Colburn :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RandallColburnauthorphotoe7e8b48d9f8645588439077e721a5f48.jpg) Randall Colburn Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at . His work has previously appeared on The A.V.

Ryan Murphy's "Love Story" shows the pair coming to blows behind the scenes of the politics and culture magazine.

Did JFK Jr. and Michael Berman really get into a physical fight? What we know about the blowout (and how Carolyn factored in)

Ryan Murphy's "Love Story" shows the pair coming to blows behind the scenes of the politics and culture magazine.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer, and many other publications.

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March 13, 2026 11:35 a.m. ET

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John F. Kennedy Jr. and Michael Berman announcing the launch of 'George'. Credit:

Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma via Getty

- JRK Jr. co-founded *George*, a politics and pop culture magazine, with his friend Michael Berman.

- A physical altercation (and ripped shirtsleeve) led to Berman's exit from the project.

- Berman regrets not making amends with JFK Jr. prior to the scion's 1999 death.

John F. Kennedy Jr. was working as an assistant district attorney when Bill Clinton's infamous sax solo on a 1992 episode of *The Arsenio Hall Show* got him thinking. Glossy print magazines were all the rage — what about one that merged politics and pop culture? Three years later, his idea became a reality with the first issue of *George*.

As its title implies, FX's *Love Story *is primarily centered on JFK Jr.'s troubled marriage to Carolyn Bessette, but it also explores the scion's efforts to launch *George* with the help of a friend, Michael Berman.

On the show, the relationship between JFK Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Berman (Michael Nathanson) is a fractious one plagued by disagreements. The simmering tensions between the pair boiled over in episode 7, resulting in a bitter fight and Berman's exit from the magazine.

Did JFK Jr. and Michael Berman really come to blows? And is that really why Berman left *George*? Here's what we know about what happened in real life.**

Did JFK Jr. and Michael Berman really get into a fight?

JFK Jr., David Pecker, and Michael Berman at a 'George' press conference in New York City.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Several publications, including *The Independent*, *Time*, and *Esquire*, have reported of a "physical altercation" that occurred between JFK Jr. and Michael Berman behind the scenes of *George*.

The *Esquire* report, for example, called the pair's testy relationship an "office distraction," noting a fight in January 1997 that "left Berman's shirtsleeve ripped" and resulted in JFK Jr. asking to have the locks on his office doors changed.

This is all elaborated upon in Steven M. Gillon's 2019 biography, *America's Reluctant Prince: The Life of John F. Kennedy Jr*., which includes quotes from Berman about the pair's fallout.

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The fight then spilled out into the hallway, with Berman allegedly trying to use a letter opener to pick the lock of JFK Jr.'s office.

"Of all the fierce arguments that Michael and John had had in the past, this one was by far the loudest and most intense," Gillon writes. "To those who witnessed the scene, Berman appeared out of control."

When JFK Jr. called on a locksmith, Berman requested that his lock also be changed. "John managed to get his lock changed with a simple phone call; his co-founder was told he needed to submit a work order."

This dynamic, in which JRK Jr.'s name and celebrity earned him the kind of preferential treatment that Berman never received, was an ongoing source of tension between the pair. Gillon was a co-founder of *George*, but felt that he and JFK Jr. were not treated as equal partners by the magazine's publisher, Hachette.**

What was JFK Jr. and Michael Berman's real-life fight about?

Michael Nathanson as Michael Berman and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr. on 'Love Story'.

The inequality sensed by Berman wasn't the only source of tension between the business partners. According to numerous reports (and Gillon's book), the pair frequently disagreed about the direction of the magazine.

What caused matters to boil over in January 1997, according to Gillon, was the idea of a *George* TV show. Hatchette was eager to launch a series capitalizing on JFK Jr.'s fame, but the scion was less enthused, wanting to prove himself as an editor.

He eventually relented, saying he would play a small role in a TV special. "He would say hello and goodbye," Berman told Gillon. "He had full approval of everything he would say. His name would not appear in the title. He would not be asked to promote it."

That's how Berman says he presented it to networks, but wires got crossed and JFK Jr. allegedly became convinced he was being set up as a TV host, with Berman negotiating behind his back.

According to Gillon, this led to him storming into Berman's office, and the physical struggle ensued over the files related to the show. "We are not doing any of this," JFK Jr. is reported to have said. "I'll be the editor, and you can be the publisher. That's the way it's going to be."

The conflict escalated when Berman brought up JFK Jr.'s "problems at home," specifically his relationship to his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. JFK Jr. reportedly said that Berman was jealous of how the staff liked Bessette Kennedy more than him. Berman allegedly retorted, "Her behavior is deplorable!" This remark, Gillon writes, is what caused JFK Jr. to leave Berman's office and Berman to follow him.

In 2003, *Vanity Fair *also reported on tension between Berman and Bessette Kennedy, saying that her "constant meddling" in *George*'s editorial operations hurt JFK Jr.'s relationship with Berman.

"Carolyn didn't like Michael Berman," said one of the article's sources. "She thought Michael wasn't on the up-and-up, and that he had a vested interest in her husband. She poisoned John's relationship with Michael. I heard her tell John, 'I don't believe Michael's your real friend. The only reason he's close to you is because you're John F. Kennedy Jr.'"

Why did Michael Berman leave George?

Michael Nathanson as Michael Berman on 'Love Story'.

According to Gillon, the January 1997 fight resulted in the end of JFK Jr. and Berman's friendship, as well as Berman's exit from *George*. Despite JFK Jr. apologizing and buying Berman a new shirt, his partner departed to work at another division of Hatchette.

Publisher Elinore Carmody-Gibbons told Gillon, "You cannot underestimate the impact of Michael leaving." Jean-Louis Ginibre, an editorial director for Hatchette, added, "When Berman left, something was lost in the mix."

Ad sales suffered in his wake, and the magazine never recovered following JFK Jr.'s death in a 1999 plane crash. Its last issue was published in January 2001.**

What has Michael Berman said about his relationship to JFK Jr.?

Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr. on 'Love Story'.

For many years, Berman remained silent about his departure from *George* and the fallout of his relationship with JFK Jr. Two decades after his exit, he finally opened up to Gillon.

"I regret having lost control that day. I certainly knew better — we both did — but my professional life had just come crashing down," he said. "John reached out a number of times over the next couple of years, but I never responded. I was still too angry."

Berman, who found success as an investor and the president of a private equity firm, looks back fondly on his former partner. "John started out as a good partner," he told Gillon. "He intuitively understood the intersection of politics and pop culture better than anyone I have ever known. He worked hard and challenged the status quo. He provided tremendous value well beyond his name. George foresaw what now constitutes an inherent aspect of 21st-century American culture. It's sad he's not here to see it, but even though the magazine did not survive, the original premise ultimately came true. For John, that is a powerful legacy."

He added of their ugly final meeting, "Having allowed that to be our final interaction haunts me to this day."**

Where can I watch Love Story?

*Love Story* is now streaming on Hulu.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Drama"

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Source: Drama

Published: March 13, 2026 at 11:57AM on Source: PRIME TIME

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