What to Know About Carolyn Bessette&x27;s 2 Sisters Lauren and Lisa Bessette Jordana ComiterFri, March 6, 2026 at 1:00 AM UTC 0 Carolyn Bessette with cousin, sisters and grandmother in 1985Credit: Courtesy Carolyn Bessette was born in 1966, 18 months after her twin sisters, Lauren and Lisa The sisters reportedly "looked out" for Carolyn during their childhoods Lauren died alongside Carolyn and JFK Jr. in 1999 While Carolyn Bessette was "CBK" to much of the world, she was "little sister" to Lisa and Lauren Bessette. The former Calvin Klein employee — who married John F. Kennedy Jr.
What to Know About Carolyn Bessette's 2 Sisters Lauren and Lisa Bessette
Jordana ComiterFri, March 6, 2026 at 1:00 AM UTC
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Carolyn Bessette with cousin, sisters and grandmother in 1985Credit: Courtesy -
Carolyn Bessette was born in 1966, 18 months after her twin sisters, Lauren and Lisa
The sisters reportedly "looked out" for Carolyn during their childhoods
Lauren died alongside Carolyn and JFK Jr. in 1999
While Carolyn Bessette was "CBK" to much of the world, she was "little sister" to Lisa and Lauren Bessette.
The former Calvin Klein employee — who married John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996 — was raised alongside two older twin sisters, Lauren and Lisa, who were born in 1964. Their parents, Ann Freeman and William Bessette, divorced when they were young.
Now, Lauren and Lisa are being portrayed in Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, which chronicles — and partly fictionalizes — their sister's romance with the political heir, up until their deaths in 1999. Lauren was also aboard the plane that JFK Jr. was piloting when it crashed due to pilot error, killing all three passengers and leaving Lisa as the sole surviving Bessette sister.
Here's everything to know about Carolyn Bessette's sisters, Lauren and Lisa.
Lauren and Lisa are twins
Carolyn and Lauren Bessette in 1982.Credit: Courtesy
Lauren and Lisa are identical twins who were born in 1964, 18 months before Carolyn, according to The New York Times.
Their parents — teacher and administrator Ann and architectural engineer William — divorced when the girls were all young, per The New York Times.
Following her split from William, Ann went on to marry orthopedic surgeon Richard Freeman, who became the children's stepfather.
Lauren attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges, while Lisa graduated from the University of Michigan
Carolyn Bessette and sister Lauren in 1998.Credit: Mario Magnani/Getty
Carolyn attended Boston University, while her sisters went to college in different states.
Lauren graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., according to The New York Times, while Lisa graduated from the University of Michigan, per Observer.
According to Elizabeth Beller's 2024 book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Lauren was "studious and goal-oriented," and Lisa "seemed more sensitive and bohemian, interested in art."
Lisa and Lauren "looked out" for Carolyn
Carolyn Bessette attends Brite Nite Party at the Whitney Museum of American Art on March 9, 1999, in New York City.Credit: Patrick McMullan via Getty
Lisa and Lauren took their big sister duties very seriously, according to Beller's book.
Their friend, referred to only as "Giorgi in the book, shared that the twins "looked out for Carolyn" during their childhoods.
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Elsewhere in the book, Lisa is described as the "quietest of the three" sisters.
Lauren worked at Morgan Stanley
JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette and Lauren Bessette outside Bubby's in Tribeca on Nov. 15, 1997.Credit: Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma via Getty
Lauren began working at Morgan Stanley in 1993, according to The New York Times.
During her time with the company, she spent several years in Hong Kong and eventually became a vice president for the bank.
A former colleague told Observer that Lauren was "very professional."
Lauren became part of Carolyn and John's circle
JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette celebrating second anniversary of the magazine 'George' held at Asia de Cuba Restaurant.Credit: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty
Lauren bought an apartment in Tribeca around the corner from JFK Jr. and Carolyn's loft upon her return from Hong Kong, according to PEOPLE editor-at-large Liz McNeil and JFK Jr.'s former assistant RoseMarie Terenzio's 2024 book, JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography
Lauren's Morgan Stanley office was also across the street from the office of George, the magazine JFK Jr. and Michael Berman co-founded.
Being in their neighborhood meant Lauren became more immersed in her sister and brother-in-law's lives, as Carolyn introduced Lauren to her friends and incorporated her into her social circle.
Lauren was killed alongside Carolyn and JFK Jr. in 1999
On July 16, 1999, Lauren was killed alongside Carolyn and JFK Jr. when the small plane piloted by the George editor-in-chief crashed into the Atlantic.
According to McNeil and Terenzio's book, JFK Jr. and Carolyn were on their way to his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding in Hyannis, though they had planned to drop Lauren off on Martha's Vineyard for a weekend with friends on the way.
A memorial for Carolyn and Lauren was held in Greenwich, Conn., on July 24, 1999. According to McNeil and Terenzio's book, their uncle, Jack, gave Lauren's eulogy, while two of her friends also spoke.
Nearly a year later, the National Transportation Safety Board determined in a report "the probable cause(s)" of the accident: "The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were haze and the dark night."
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Source: Entertainment
Published: March 6, 2026 at 05:10AM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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