[PennsylvaniaMom]

If my memory serves me right...didn't Carolyn and Lauren's parents file some sort of 'wrongful death' lawsuit against the estate of JFK,Jr (alleging his incompetance as a pilot)? If so, and if it hasn't been litigated, could this 'tell all' be part of a bigger picture...you know discredit Carolyn Bissette Kennedy (a druggie, clinically depressed, risked their safety in flight to get that 'right' shade of lilac)...just wondering. Not that any well connected (in the literary world) Kennedy would do something like that...

Wasn't there 'dirt' circulated about Mary Jo Kopechne too?

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Actually I believe Caroline's mother started the suit and as far as I know it's been settled already. Kennedys settled out of court.

As far as Caroline Bessette-Kennedy, there was a lot of stuff printed about her when she was alive, and right after her death the coke stuff did come out, as well as other weird stuff about her cheating.

However that doesn't mean he didn't cheat. IIRC I believe Darryl Hannah had come back into his life before he died and CBK was not happy about that either.

Ah. The rich are so much different than you and I :)

[Paleo Conservative]

could this 'tell all' be part of a bigger picture...you know discredit Carolyn Bissette Kennedy (a druggie, clinically depressed, risked their safety in flight to get that 'right' shade of lilac.

There was more than enough bad judgement to go around. I personally refuse to fly as a passenger in any plane where there is not at least one pilot who has an instrument rating.

[sarasota]

Carolyn's family received a $14 or $15 million settlement.

[mabelkitty]

You are correct. She filed demanded a settlement (Caroline and Teddy wanted to give the mother pennies for her the death of 2 of her 3 daughers) and she refused to buckle.

She filed papers to extend the statute of limitations for the wrongful death lawsuit (apparently the crash investigation point to negligence on John's part) and a settlement was reached - last I heard.

Now I would bet dollars to donuts the settlement had a gag order attached. Hence the book.

And if you think JFK, Jr. was a saint, I've got a bridge to sell you in Manhatan.

Everyone raise their hand who thinks Caroline is planning a run for office of some type, and this is milking the "poor Kennedy" card for all it's worth? Not unlike Shrew Clinton.

[Mo1]

If my memory serves me right...didn't Carolyn and Lauren's parents file some sort of 'wrongful death' lawsuit against the estate of JFK,Jr (alleging his incompetance as a pilot)? If so, and if it hasn't been litigated, could this 'tell all' be part of a bigger picture...you know discredit Carolyn Bissette Kennedy (a druggie, clinically depressed, risked their safety in flight to get that 'right' shade of lilac)...just wondering. Not that any well connected (in the literary world) Kennedy would do something like that...

Yes there was, but I forget what happened with it

There may well have been trouble in their marriage .. but I can't help get the feeling this is to trash Carolyn big time

[Starrgaizr]

Sorry, but even with a witch of a wife screwing up a planned departure, it was an imprudent and stupid thing to continue with the flight. It shows how the socialite set puts appearances ahead of common sense. Unfortunately, even good peaople make this mistake. It is easy to imagine the lovely bride berating him even if he wanted to cancel the flight, but that is no excuse.

There are a lot of perfectly legal yet perfectly stupid things to do in an airplane. Flying night VFR in haze over open water is pretty high on the list. Clicking off the autopilot while still over water after the first near death-spiral (if I recall the NTSB report correctly) is really too tempting to the Darwin award people. As soon as he realized he would not have good visual contact with ground references if he continued, he should have done a 180 and just taken the verbal abuse.