Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy became a household name through her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., but her life was also deeply rooted in her close-knit family—especially her sisters, Lauren and Lisa. The Bessette siblings shared a strong bond long before Carolyn entered the public eye, and they remained connected through both personal milestones and tragedy.
Here’s everything to know about Carolyn’s sisters, Lauren and Lisa, and where their family is today.
Carolyn was the youngest of three sisters. She had two older siblings, Lauren Bessette and Lisa Bessette, who were twins born in 1964. The three grew up together in Connecticut and remained very close throughout their lives.
Lauren tragically died on July 16, 1999, in a plane crash alongside her sister Carolyn and Carolyn’s husband. She was 34 years old at the time.
The trio was traveling to Martha’s Vineyard when the small aircraft, piloted by JFK Jr, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the island. Investigators later determined the likely cause to be pilot error due to spatial disorientation in hazy nighttime conditions.
According to The New York Times, Lauren was a successful investment banker at Morgan Stanley and had recently returned to New York, where she grew even closer to Carolyn.
Lisa has maintained a private life in the years following the tragedy. Per Observer, she graduated from the University of Michigan and later pursued a doctorate in Renaissance studies in Munich.
