Zimmer played Ann Messina Freeman, the mother of Carolyn and Lauren Bessette, on the Ryan Murphy series.

Constance Zimmer experienced a ‘whole new grief’ watching Love Story after her mother’s death

Zimmer played Ann Messina Freeman, the mother of Carolyn and Lauren Bessette, on the Ryan Murphy series.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 4, 2026 8:32 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Constance Zimmer. Credit:

Katie Flores/Variety via Getty

- Constance Zimmer says that watching her show *Love Story* caused her to grieve over the death of her mother.

- The show dramatized the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

- Zimmer portrayed Ann Messina Freeman, the mother of Bessette and her sister, Lauren, who both died in the same 1999 plane crash as Kennedy.

Constance Zimmer says she had an emotional reaction to the TV series *Love Story,* the* *Ryan Murphy-produced show dramatizing the real-life relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

The Emmy-nominated actress played Ann Messina Freeman, the mother of Bessette and her sister, Lauren, who both died alongside Kennedy when their plane crashed on July 16, 1999, while on their way to Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

"When I was watching the show, I had a whole new grief that I was unpacking and that I still unpack every day,” Zimmer told *The Hollywood Reporter *in an interview published Thursday. “I cried all over again for the shocking loss of my mom. It became cathartic for me, watching myself and dealing with grief and being able to allow myself to feel it all.”

Constance Zimmer and Sarah Pidgeon on 'Love Story'.

Zimmer's mother, Ingrid Mueller, died in November, and she's been open about the pain she's endured.

"The sudden loss of my mother has hit me with a grief I have never known before and I've known a lot of grief," Zimmer wrote on social media in the days afterward.

She added, "I can't quite understand how she's not here anymore. I can feel her spirit all around me and in all the shaking voices and messages of her friends who she touched and loved. We had plans, we had so many more conversations to have, we had so much life to still live together. It’s only been 3 days and I miss her so much already."

'Love Story' star Constance Zimmer says finale will be 'very, very difficult' to watch

5 details 'Love Story' gets wrong about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's romance

On Mother's Day, Zimmer shared a snapshot of the two.

"Well here it is the day I’ve been dreading," the *UnREAL* actress wrote. "It's only been 6 months and man do I miss you so much Mom. I truly didn't think I'd be going through life without you by my side. I've gone to call you and text you so many times. It feels weird that you're not here drinking coffee with us celebrating being mothers together. I talk to you everyday, but it’s not the same. Nothing is the same."

On the show, Freeman struggles with her own grief at her staggering loss of two daughters just entering adulthood. The protective mother wants to know how such a tragedy should have happened and demands answers.

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

"That *Love Story* was able to show more of the Bessette side was a wonderful thing to be a part of," Zimmer said. "It was really sad, but it felt very cathartic for people who didn't know them, for people who knew them, for all of us that watched their story unfold in real time."

Based on Elizabeth Beller's 2024 book *Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy*, the series aired in February and March. It was immediately controversial, criticized by key players including Kennedy's former love interest Daryl Hannah and Caroline Kennedy's son Jack Schlossberg.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Friends and Family

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”