Friends of the Kennedys have laid bare details of a fierce family feud, revealing Caroline Kennedy didn’t think Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was ‘good enough’ for her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., because she had an ‘upper-middle-class’ upbringing.
When news hit the web that JFK Jr. was dating Calvin Klein’s director of publicity Carolyn, the entire world became captivated by the couple.
Paparazzi followed them in droves as the media covered their every move, but there was one person who didn’t seem to approve of the pairing: JFK Jr.’s older sister Caroline.
According to friends of the late couple, Caroline refused to accept her brother’s new romance until the wedding, and even after they tied the knot, it was clear that she wasn’t too fond of the fashion guru.
JFK Jr.’s pal Sasha Chermayeff revealed in the new tome, JFK Jr.: An Intimate Biography, that Caroline didn’t like that Carolyn came from an ‘upper-middle-class background that wasn’t blue blood.’
Caroline Kennedy didn’t think Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was ‘good enough’ for her brother JFK Jr., who is seen here with Carolyn, Caroline, and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg
According to friends of the late couple, Caroline refused to accept her brother’s new romance until the wedding, and even after they tied the knot, she wasn’t too fond of Carolyn
‘Carolyn was beautiful, intense, funny, smart, but if you could pick on her for one thing, it would be that she came from… a Connecticut upper-middle-class background that wasn’t blue blood,’ Sasha wrote.
‘It became clear to me that Caroline was not going to accept Carolyn until the very last minute, until she had no choice – until she was standing at the f**king altar and there’s no doubt whatsoever [that she was] in the family.’
Sasha said Caroline found her husband’s sister to be ‘condescending,’ adding, ‘I don’t think there was much love lost between [Carolyn] and Caroline.’
Acclaimed author Steven M. Gillon, who previously studied JFK Jr.’s life in detail for his own book, America’s Reluctant Prince: The Life of John F. Kennedy Jr., also weighed in on the topic throughout the new biography.
‘Caroline did not think Carolyn was good enough for John – she and [husband Edwin Schlossberg] just found her temperamental and selfish,’ he said.
He recalled a time when the two couples met up to celebrate Christmas together – but Caroline was left feeling ‘disrespected’ after Carolyn and Ed left the get together early.
‘Carolyn was so concerned [about impressing Caroline] and she had all these gifts for them,’ Steven shared.
‘They go over and Caroline and Ed left within an hour to go to some sporting event or something. Carolyn thought that was so disrespectful.’
JFK Jr.’s pal Sasha Chermayeff revealed in a new tome that Caroline didn’t like that Carolyn came from an ‘upper-middle-class background.’ JFK Jr. and Caroline are seen as kids
Sasha said Caroline found her husband’s sister to be ‘condescending,’ adding, ‘I don’t think there was much love lost between [Carolyn] and Caroline.’ The couple pictured in 1999
According to the book, there were also growing tensions between JFK Jr. and Caroline’s husband Ed.
They allegedly fought over an auction that John Jr. was planning to sell ‘his mother’s goods after she died.’
‘They needed to pay taxes – a lot of money – on Martha’s Vineyard, so they needed to sell a lot of items,’ Steven said.
‘John wanted a private auction – he didn’t want the media attention of a public auction.
According to the book, there were also growing tensions between JFK Jr. and Caroline’s husband, Ed. Ed is seen with Caroline last year
‘Ed thought a public auction would raise more money, and rightly so. What John resented was that Ed was making the decision – he believed that he and Caroline were the only people who should make decisions related to the family.
‘And he resented that Caroline delegated some of that responsibility to Ed.’
Steve said John Jr. also ‘flipped out’ after Ed volunteered him to narrate an HBO documentary about his dad, late President John F. Kennedy, on the anniversary of his assassination.
‘John was made because they had basically proposed him as the narrator, without asking him,’ RoseMarie Terenzio, JFK Jr.’s former assistant, added.
JFK Jr.’s friend Rob Littell said the budding attorney felt like Ed was ‘milking the family name.’
Sasha also interjected: ‘John thought Ed was entitled, and he was driving a wedge between him and his sister.
‘John was so close with his sister, and then they were not speaking. Up until that point, nobody drove a wedge between John and his sister, and John resented the hell out of that.
‘Carolyn was like, “F**k them. They belittle you, they boss you around.” She was going to amp that up, because her thing was protection.
‘John was sticking with Carolyn. Caroline was sticking with Ed. The rift was a deep wound.’
Throughout the tome, friends also revealed the hilarious way JFK Jr.’s aunt Lee Radziwill got back at him and Carolyn after they failed to invite her to their wedding. She’s seen in 1976
His assistant said Lee (seen here with JFK Jr.’s mom) gave the couple ‘scrunchies and hair clips’ for Christmas that year, and said, ‘That was [my] f**k you for not inviting me’
JFK Jr. and Carolyn tragically passed away in a shock plane crash in 1999.
Throughout the tome, friends also revealed the hilarious way Lee Radziwill got back at JFK Jr. and Carolyn after they failed to invite her to their wedding.
The couple tied the knot in secret in September 1996, but Lee – JFK Jr.’s aunt – was not present at the nuptials.
According to RoseMarie, JFK Jr. didn’t invite Lee because ‘he didn’t trust that she would keep the confidence.’
And the socialite made her disdain for their decision known when they met up to celebrate Christmas a few months later.
‘That Christmas after the wedding, they exchanged gifts, Carolyn and Lee at their apartment,’ Rose explained.
‘Carolyn gave her a Hermes blanket and Carolyn opened her gift from Lee and it was a box of hair clips from Duane Reade. Scrunchies and hair clips from Duane Reade – like Goody hair clips.
‘Carolyn said, “I actually think this is hysterical.” [Lee] was like, “You know what that was, don’t you, honey? That was [my] f**k you for not inviting me to your wedding. How dare you.”
‘I’m sure Lee, who was all about appearances, was embarrassed that she wasn’t invited to John’s wedding.’
DailyMail.com has contact Caroline’s representatives for comment.