It is kind of hard to believe that it has been 15 years since John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane flew off course, resorting in a crash landing that killed himself, his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette. More often than not, when JFK Jr. is discussed it is in connection to his fiery marriage or his thriving career before his death. It is almost easy to forget about how popular and active he was before he settled into the role of being a responsible, married man. A new book, The Good Son: JFK Jr. and the Mother He Loved by Christopher Andersen, is about to remind fans of the Kennedys what JFK Jr.'s earlier years were like, and it takes a close look at his relationship with Jackie Kennedy through the years. One semi-surprise Andersen reveals is JFK Jr.'s romance with Madonna and the lousy job the two did of keeping it under wraps while she was still married to Sean Penn. Jackie Kennedy was no fan of Madonna either, as she reminded her of Marilyn Monroe.
According to an excerpt from Andersen's book that ran in the (New York) Daily News:
"One unwelcome reminder of JFK's torrid affair with Marilyn — the affair that most troubled Jackie — arrived on her doorstep in the form of another blond bombshell by the name of Madonna. Already a pop icon, Madonna was best known at the time for her 'Material Girl' video, an homage to Monroe's 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' number from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
"The Material Girl and JFK Jr. met briefly at a party following one of her concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1985. Three years later, after the breakup of her stormy marriage to Sean Penn, she went after John. Beyond the obvious — stories of her sexual escapades abounded — Madonna was convinced that destiny was taking a hand in bringing together the undisputed heiress to Monroe's platinum persona with the son of JFK. She told friends she believed that her affair with JFK Jr. would be nothing less than 'cosmic.'
"Jackie was anything but thrilled with this particular liaison. There were many things about Madonna that rubbed Jackie the wrong way, not the least of which was her habit of thumbing her nose at Roman Catholic rituals. Madonna's use of crucifixes and other Catholic images was deemed sacrilegious by the Vatican, and across the globe she was being condemned as a heretic. Nor did it help when Jackie picked up a copy of Life only to see Madonna dolled up as Marilyn on the cover."
It makes perfect sense that Jackie could not stand the sight of Madonna, as she would have instantly triggered a negative response from her. While Madonna has always played coy about anything happening between her and JFK Jr. Do you think they were together for a while? Supposedly she would sign in to visit him at 1040 Fifth Ave. and list her name as Mrs. Sean Penn, something that grated Jackie's nerves.
Are you interested in the Kennedy family's history? Will you be grabbing a copy of this book to read all the early details of JFK's younger years? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
