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The Other Man: A Love Story - John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette, and Me

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The international supermodel and actor details his rise to fame in the fashion world and reveals for the first time the truth about his stormy, passionate, and now famous relationship with Carolyn Bessette. This is the story of a small–town kid who moved to the big city, fell in love with a beautiful, mysterious woman, and found himself in competition with the most eligible bachelor in the world, John F. Kennedy Jr. Now, for the first time, Michael Bergin reveals the truth behind a life lived in the limelight and a relationship shrouded in secrecy. From his early days growing up in a small blue–collar Connecticut town, to his meteoric rise as fashion icon and television star, to the passion he shared with the enigmatic and complex Carolyn Bessette, this is an inside look at the world of beauty, power, and celebrity. In 1992, Michael and Carolyn met in a bar in New York City. She was unlike any woman he had ever known–sophisticated, successful, with bewitching charm and grace. An intensely passionate relationship was born. Not long after, Michael landed the coveted Calvin Klein underwear campaign, and his career took off. The future looked bright, and Carolyn and Michael seemed destined for a long and happy life together. But it was not to be. Four years later Michael was an international fashion icon and Carolyn was Mrs. John F. Kennedy Jr.–however, the story doesn't end there. This is the truth about their lives, a tale full of warmth, humour, heartbreak, and tragedy. Above all, The Other Man is a testament to the enduring power of love and a story about the painful choices we make with our all–too–human hearts.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

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About the author

Michael Bergin

5 books9 followers
Michael John Bergin is considered to have been one of the first males to have achieved supermodel status, previously reserved for women such as Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell, and Iman.

Bergin attended the University of Connecticut and is perhaps best known as Mark Wahlberg's successor in Calvin Klein's racy series of black and white underwear ads. His 6' 1" frame and washboard abs (widely cited as his professional signature) gained international exposure in print ads and, notably, on a 96' X 70' billboard in New York City's Times Square.

While contracted to Calvin Klein, Michael met the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a Calvin Klein publicist, whom he dated seriously. After that relationship fell apart due to career pressures, she went on to marry John F. Kennedy, Jr., with whom she later perished in a fatal plane crash. In early 2004, Bergin published a book about his relationship with Bessette, The Other Man, claiming that they continued a sexual affair during the time Bessette was dating Kennedy and during their marriage. He was arrested for drunk driving in 2004, on the 5th anniversary of Bessette-Kennedy's death.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Debbie.
106 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2012
My expectations for "The Other Man: John F. Kennedy Jr, Carolyn Bessette, and Me" were fairly low. I expected a tell-all book written by an egotistical man eager to cash in on the Kennedy name, and I was sure I would browse through it quickly and then put it aside.

However, I actually was captivated by Mr. Bergin's story. I found him to be quite likeable and very believable, and his story was far more interesting than books of this kind tend to be. Although he's a very successful male model, it was not ego-driven at all and he admitted to his own insecurities and mistakes throughout. He included just enough about his own upbringing and life story, which is difficult to do in this type of book.

This is not earth-shaking material, but I enjoyed his telling of the many unique experiences he had from his own perspective, and it certainly felt as though the writing of this book was a cathartic experience for him. I liked his conversational writing style and felt that this fairly fast read was well worth the time.
Profile Image for Kim.
14 reviews
July 23, 2009
We all know where we were when the news hit that JFK's plane had gone down. I was coming into the kitchen and Dan had handed me a cup of coffee and I settled in on the couch and turned on the TV. There was an aerial view of the Atlantic off Martha's Vieyard and then a computer-generated map with a red marker saying at which point they believed John F. Kennedy Jr's plane had gone down. "Oh no" I kept saying "Oh no". I honestly felt like he was going to be sitting on some wreckage waiting to be spotted by rescuers, waving madly. When I learned of the rescuers finding his wife still buckled into her seat I was finally convinced. The Prince had died.
What I found bitterly ironic about this review is that I entered *just* the title of this book on the goodreads search engine and...nothing came up. If goodreads thinks such trash lit (that reveals the seamier side of America's Royalty) is too uncultured for their heady set of literati, then dammit they are right!
I wolfed this book down in a day. Start to finish, one day. Part compelling nature to learn more about the mysterious Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, part embarassment of having this book in my possession under my roof. Ever since that paparazzi photo of John John helping CB into her pants on a yacht I have been somewhat intrigued by this mystery blonde. She had impeccable taste in clothing; dressed in the chunky heels and fitted waistcoats that were de riguer of mid-90s fashion. Who will ever forget the Narciso Rodriguez dress with the lily of the valleys bouquet? Always seamless and without flaw. You were lying if you said you did not want to be her.
What did I learn? That despite arguments to the contrary, Michael Bergin did not have an affair with Valentino. Oh and that he shtoinked a married Carolyn Bessette Kennedy numerous times. I lost track of the abortions she'd had-two? or three. Two, but one miscarriage, that she claims was JFK Jr's baby. (Chivalry, thy name is not Michael Bergin. It was an interesting portrayal, one that rode a high wire between callous oversharing and hurting remembrance.)
No matter. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was an empirically beautiful woman. That "Bergdorf blonde" that every husky dark-haired man in NYC seemed to find irresistible. She was also an insecure, manipulative and conniving woman who seemed to use men and dispose of them at will. The end result is that one of these men turned the knife on her and wrote a scathing reviling review of her short life. She of course used drugs..."but modestly". She of course slept around on Bergin "but he was the most handsome male model that I had ever seen, and I'm not even gay".
She seemed to have put many men under her 'spell' and this book was at the end a sad tale of lust, greed and narcissistic living at the end of Camelot. Embrassed to say I read it.
Profile Image for Saturday's Child.
1,493 reviews
October 11, 2009
A quick and easy read which paints a very different (and not so flattering) point of view of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her life before her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jnr. I was left wondering who had more issues in their life, the author or Carolyn.
585 reviews25 followers
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November 28, 2019
I had to read this book because I went to college with Bergin and although he didn't know me, ALL the girls in The Jungle at UCONN sure the hell knew him!! Dinner in the cafeteria and Mike in those red sweatpants. LORD! I clearly remember it and that was almost 20 years ago.
Profile Image for Emi Yoshida.
1,673 reviews99 followers
April 21, 2013
Poor self-centered, shallow, insecure, and un-entertaining Michael Bergin, he so can't stand it that the whole world sees him as a brainless beauty and blames him for being the Other Man in the celebrated JFK Jr/Carolyn Bessette marriage. But this book only served to prove all that.
Profile Image for Laura Dye.
372 reviews13 followers
September 15, 2008
Not particularly well-written or interesting, but I finished it nonetheless. I guess I couldn't believe that someone would stay with a woman who was so emotionally disconnected and controlling.
651 reviews
July 10, 2019
The author should have put a disclaimer in the beginning of the book that stated he would be changing most names instead of every time he introduced a new character he would say......I'll call her.... or let's call him......
He wrote this book because "For years I had said nothing. Not a single word. Then in an attempt to protect Carolyn I made the mistake of talking to one writer, for 20 minutes, and in the eyes of the entire world was suddenly a louse and a bastard."Really Michael? You thought you could trust a journalist with a story about Carolyn Kennedy? So he wrote the book set the record straight. Really? By telling a story about someone who has died so she can't even defend herself? By claiming you carried on an affair while she was married? That she wanted to leave her husband and run away with you? By talking about her two abortions and one miscarriage? On one page they had the most amazing relationship...on the next he falls into bed with some random woman and they don't leave his house for 7 days. On one page Carolyn is strong and independent on the next page she is clingy and depressed. Carolyn never introduced him to her friends or coworkers, yet they were made for one another. The story didn't make a lot of sense. Great publicity boost for him.
54 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2023
I bought this book used thinking okay who is this guy. I thought I always followed John Jr and knew almost all there is to know. I remember when they started saying he was dating somebody new. I had no idea about the rumors going on about this guy. To tell you the truth I thought the only struggle going on was her trying to get used to the paparazzi.

I don’t want to give any spoilers. So if you are thinking of buying this book, jist buy it. I love John Kennedy Jr and I always felt protective of him because of all that happened to him as a child. I would never read anything that I thought was bashing him or ruining his legacy. This book is nothing bad against John Kennedy. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to believe this guy. But once I read it (after my daughter told me she read it) I gave it a go and once I started I couldn’t stop. I started reading thinking what’s this bozo have to say. But after getting half way through the book, I realized I believe him and he’s far from a bozo. Give it a try for yourself, I think you will agree with me. Me and my daughter couldn’t stop discussing the book after we read it thinking of all the what ifs and whys. It still comes to my mind on occasion.
21 reviews
October 15, 2007
very fast read... skimmed through the chapter about his childhood... simple writing... nothing literary about this... read in a few hours on a rainy afternoon... tabloid book about his life with Carolyn... and intimate details about their life together.

But I did end up feeling sorry for him, and I can see why he wrote it... as therapy.
Profile Image for Karen.
21 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2010
Found this book in delivery @ the library & thought I'd give it a try. Thought the guy on the cover was kinda cute & liked the intrigue behind Carolyn having another lover besides that georgeous JFK Jr. then I became pleasantly surprised by the fact he wrote well, told the story like it was (in his words of course) & how he came to his true loves defence.
57 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2015
Quickly read book but thru-out found author's words disconcerting. Whether true in fact - publishing this book is disrespectful. The worst comes in the end as Michael Bergin states he is not capitalizing on events but trying to 'clear' Carolyn Bissett Kennedy's name. With friends like that, who needs enemies.
Profile Image for Dgoll.
368 reviews2 followers
July 20, 2011
Interesting story of a controlling,very insecure and ambitious girl and a very accomodating guy.
Profile Image for Trish.
263 reviews10 followers
January 30, 2013
I really enjoyed this biography and felt as though the author was honest, regardless of how he appeared- good or bad, with his account of events. There was a genuine feel to his portrayal. It read like fiction, almost, and it was easy to become engrossed in the story. I am particularily fascinated by Carolyn Bessette, always have been. Classically beautiful, reserved in the public eye and she nabbed JFK Jr! She seemed so complex, endearing, confused, independent. Lets face it, she was an enigma.
Profile Image for Louis.
436 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2020
Strictly for Kennedy-philes. I was interested in the story behind how a person breaks into male modeling, at least back in the 1990's. I knew little to nothing about Carolyn Bessette, and she comes off here as a caring, if troubled, person. You have to wonder if some therapy wouldn't have helped her in her life. Good photos as well.
Profile Image for Tara D-K.
77 reviews3 followers
November 5, 2007
I LOVED this book. I could not put it down. I don't know if it's true or not, but I wanted it to be true. It was SO intimate that even though he was "the other man"- I wanted to root for him to get the girl (even though we all know what happened).
Profile Image for Farrah.
936 reviews
April 24, 2012
Okay, let's be clear - this is not highbrow literature by any means, but I found it fascinating!! If you're at all interested in Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr., this is an interesting, quick, beach read kind of book.
Profile Image for Carol.
309 reviews13 followers
May 12, 2016
This was a fast, easy read. Michael Bergin is no writer, but he never claimed to be.

The book was interesting, but it does leave a bad opinion.... Or rather a sad opinion of the character of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

It doesn't show that Michael Bergin has much of a quality character either. They both knew it was wrong to commit adultery, but they did anyway. I don't buy Caroline's excuse for a minute that JFK Jr. was having an affair. I truly think she was a very troubled young woman who was not at all stable enough to be in a marriage that would be scrutinized by millions.

Her death, and the death of JFK Jr. And her sister, Lauren was tragic. Bad decisions were made all around and three lives were cut short which left many broken hearts and unanswered questions.

Bergin and Bessette were never meant to
be. I do think their love was real, but Carolyn treated Michael like a Pet Rock, one she threw away and ignored and then would pick back up when it suited her.

Bergin got a story out of it. He made money off of it. Not really sure if that was a classy thing to do, but it was his story to tell, and I think he told the truth.

There was no Happily Ever After for Carolyn, but Bergin seems to have done pretty well for himself.

I just believe that Carolyn would never have been happy with anyone, because she was not happy in her own skin.

A real shame she didn't live long enough to find herself.
Profile Image for Anna Mayfair.
1 review
April 13, 2022
Many will have read in other memories of close friends of Carolyn B. that she always said she was glad she waited for John.
From my research and after reading Michael’s account I concluded that CB had already some kind of an idea that she wanted to be with JFK jr very early on, so whoever ended up having an affair with her in between was going to suffer the consequences. Michael happen to be that man, 3 years younger, not fully cooked at 23 years old and got really the confusing side, the tormenting side of a relationship while she was just spending time waiting on John to be ready. I like CB, I could not help but like her a bit less knowing she knew all along she had other plans in mind …and an actual thing with Michael was not in her future
I loved Michael’s account and I’m glad he wrote if for posterity, no one really knew anything about this woman and now we find that she was this exciting, conflicted and fascinating woman that had all these plans but didn’t considered love coming in between…
Utterly fascinating story beside Michael is also responsible for inspiring several stories on Sex and the city having been the “the Bone” while Tad is clearly Stanford.
If you are a bohemian, you will love this story.
Profile Image for Debra.
113 reviews8 followers
February 23, 2018
I've read a few of the JFK jr and Carolyn books. This one was a different view (but of course) and put Carolyn and John's relationship in a different light. My favorite is still Fairy Tale Interrupted.

I don't think Carolyn was a drug user. She dabbled in social settings from time to time. The rumor was she did drugs. I still don't believe it not from this book either.

I feel bad for Michael he truly loved her and she couldn't commit to him. It totally messed him up she was the love of his life. I'm glad he found happiness with Joy. Joy must of had a tough time breaking Michaels barriers.

I can't help but feel he was from a middle class family and Carolyn wasn't and that bothered her. JFK was the status Carolyn wanted. I'm not saying she didn't love him but she would of been with Michael had they grown up in the same status.

Still a tragic story

Profile Image for Jessica.
46 reviews
April 22, 2017
After reading Carole Radziwill's memoir and then this book it shows just how two people can see one person so differently. When first starting this book I was a little angry at Michael for writing such personal events that happened between him and Carolyn and saw from his point of view just how crazy Carolyn had seemed; It seems a little harsh that she's not here to defend herself. All in all I enjoyed reading about Michaels life, working in the modeling industry and how hard it really is. I liked hearing about him getting into baywatch and I do remember his character from the show.
Profile Image for Vanessa S..
358 reviews130 followers
February 25, 2020
The Other Man by Michael Bergin is a first-person story of his relationship with Carolyn Bessette, who went on to marry John F. Kennedy Jr. Michael Bergin was a supermodel and actor in the 1990s, and much of the book is a recap of his early life, though the focus is on his early relationship with Carolyn and subsequent affair. I didn't really have an interest in this particular piece of history before reading the book, but a friend lent it to me, so I did my due diligence and read it. This was by no means a literary masterpiece, but it was a quick, interesting read.
Profile Image for Alexis .
111 reviews
February 7, 2019
I randomly saw this book at the library and picked it up. I had no idea who Carolyn or Michael were, but after reading this story, I realized love makes us do crazy things. Michael and Caroyln truly loved each other and their relationship was extremely codependent and maybe toxic, but you also couldn't deny the love they had for each other. It's truly sad how their relationship didn't work out.
Profile Image for Sue Kozlowski.
1,393 reviews74 followers
August 24, 2013
Non-fiction. Loved it, but so sad. Michael dated Carolyn Bessette before she married JFK Jr. He even had an affair with her while she was married. JFK and Carolyn later die in a plane crash. Michael is an international super model. He modeled underwear for Calvin Klein.
75 reviews
July 31, 2024
This book was very eye opening. I never followed the life of John and Carolyn but wish now that I had. This definitely made for a beautiful love story.
Profile Image for Violetta Bailey.
16 reviews
February 16, 2025
I read this because I've always considered CBK a style icon and wanted to know more about her, but since she was so private, there's not a lot of information out there. After reading this, I realized she wasn't the best person, but I guess she was only human. I don't think Michael Bergin meant to paint a bad picture of her, he just told his truth. I found it weird that at the end he wrote she would be happy with the book and the way she was portrayed because I don't think anyone would be after being exposed like that. This story is obviously one sided and he wrote from his experience and thoughts and disclaimed that he didn't know what she was thinking all the time and was just guessing and assuming. I can't be sure what she was really like based on this book but we'll never know her story for her point of view. The writing was fine and the story was interesting but I found quite a few grammatical errors throughout; maybe it was just my copy.
Profile Image for Ashley.
36 reviews
November 16, 2023
If your ex boyfriend wrote a book about you, this is what it would be. Michael constantly talks about how much he loves Carolyn, but reveals so many deeply personal details that anyone who didn’t know her would have known she wouldn’t have wanted shared. He tries to make himself out to be a good guy, but it’s telling that he embellished details to make himself look better. Unfortunately, Carolyn isn’t around to defend herself, so it’s important to keep in mind this is someone’s recounts and not her biography.




SPOILERS:

He says he never said a word to the press… until after 14 months past their passing, that is. He says he knows Carolyn would have approved of the book, but even without knowing her, I know she would have wanted him to keep his mouth shut to the grave. He wrote about how he nobly never took money to do an interview, but in a moment of weakness gave a 20 minute interview and ultimately chose to write a book so people would know the “truth”. This guy is full of contradictions and sounds like a toxic ex. From my perspective, it seems like he just didn’t like how he was portrayed in the book from another author where he gave an interview, so he was hoping this book would do damage control. Overall, it was an easy read; however, the deeply private details and his defence of why he wrote the book soured it for me.
5 reviews
May 19, 2020
I enjoyed the book, it was nice to see the other side of the relationship, looks as though Carolyn was playing both JFK Jr. & Michael and actually preferred Michael, but what woman in her right mind could resist JFK Jr. and what man could compete against him? Personally, I think she would have been happier w/Michael, she wasn't even honest about her relationship w/JFK Jr. when confronted about it (supposedly). Carolyn had so much going for her, it's a shame what happened in the end.

Anyway, trashy reading but juicy reading (I love juicy reading!)
407 reviews20 followers
August 25, 2013
A quick easy read. Not sure if I believe the parts about Carolyn having those abortions and not sure about them meeting up around Thanksgiving after she was married (in thus book I think he mentioned it was 1997) bc I thought I gave read other books that she was with her husband and other friends in marthas vineyard for thanksgiving. So who knows what the real truth is. Just a sad story overall.
Profile Image for Kathey Norton.
Author 5 books1 follower
September 14, 2018
I'm glad Michael Bergin wrote a book about his relationship with Carolyn Bessette because it's his story and she obviously meant a great deal to him. I thought the book was well-written and I really enjoyed reading it. If you're fascinated with John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, you will enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Sarah.
147 reviews
January 28, 2024
The Other Man is a memoir by Michael Bergin, who was in a relationship for many years with Carolyn Bessette, including during her marriage to JFK Jr. I enjoyed reading about his rise to fame in the modeling world in the 90s, and about how he met Carolyn and the details of their relationship. I’m glad that he finally said no to her at the end, and that he moved on to have a family of his own.
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