The Other Man We Wish Would Go Away

It looks like model-"actor" Michael Bergin has taken the tried-and-true route to attempt to go from out-of-work himbo back to top-of-mind himbo by shilling his relationship with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy - one that continued while she was still married to JFK Jr. The Post article about Bergin's new book, The Other Man: JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette & Me and A&E special, The Other Man, is actually kind of nutty, detailing how Carolyn was always crying and insistent they continue their affair and how he loved her, because the age-old question of "If you loved her so much, why can't you leave her memory alone?" comes to mind. The Post's last sentences speak volumes:

Weeping before the A&E cameras, Bergin recalled how he lovingly paid one final tribute to his lover. Taking his cue from an ancient Hawaiian custom, Bergin said, he borrowed a friend's surfboard and paddled out into the ocean at sunset to drop the fragrant petals of a lei in the dark waters.

Is it wrong to laugh when it's in the context of a death? There's something just unspeakably icky about Michael Bergin.

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on March 26, 2004 8:28 AM

Comments [rss]

nihal

If everything in the book was true about Carolyn Bessette,then my god it breaks my heart that someone with that character could marry JFK Jr. He was so much better than her in every way possible!! She definately was NOT attractive....she looked like she was on drugs...nothing i could imagine JFK Jr with!! The stuff I read in the book made me feel disgusted by her.

Charlotte

After reading Michael's book, I see clearly how damaging abortion is to a woman. If Carolyn had

not aborted her babies, she would have become a different person. In aborting her children, she

developed an attitude that did not serve her well.

I blame the abortion doctors and clinics more than the woman who aborts. If there were no doctors who agreed to perform this procedure, many many babies would be alive today. And many women would have different hearts and minds.

Cricket

Certainly Michael Bergin was very wrong to resume his relationship with Carolyn Kennedy after her marriage, but I do not believe he deserves such harsh criticism. What a rotter *she* was! He pleaded with her not to have an abortion, but to marry him and have the child. She refused, yet continued to use and abuse him. I can easily believe that her mistreatment of him was damaging. She even tried to convince him that he was the father of the second child she aborted, when he had been far from her--on a business trip--when the child was conceived (and known to be seeing at least two other men). What a ruthless, unprincipled golddigger she really was! For shame...

Karen

I read Michael Bergin's book and it sounded sincere.

I know it is hard to believe someone's story when the other

character in the book, Carolyn, is no longer here to

tell her side of it. But I truly believe Michael's love

for Carolyn and I dont believe that he is lying. I think

that those in the media who are calling him a rat and a liar

are just trying not to damage Carolyns reputation. Either way

theres no way to no for sure what really happened.

Karen

I read Michael Bergin's book and it sounded sincere.

I know it is hard to believe someone's story when the other

character in the book, Carolyn, is no longer here to

tell her side of it. But I truly believe Michael's love

for Carolyn and I dont believe that he is lying. I think

that those in the media who are calling him a rat and a liar

are just trying not to damage Carolyns reputation. Either way

theres no way to no for sure what really happened.

Laurie

... but DAYUM he's hot!!!!!!!

maricel Badillo

I think people are just jealous because they'll never be able 2 experience true love like they have so all they do is make fun of it, all he's doing is telling his side of the story if it were about some other woman no one would have anything 2 stay but how great the book was, but since it was about Caroline Bessette people made a big thing, but she was just as normal as us and that's why people r upset because they wanted her 2 be perfect.

Shannon

I think that Michael loved Carolyn so much that he was willing to do anything just for one moment with her. That nothing else in the world mattered but just to see her and be with her. Maybe I am an optimist. I believe that he was addicted to her and she just had too many problems to actually be able to show him the love and devotion he deserved. Maybe she was a little selfish, who knows. All I can say is I think that Michael really did love her more than he could explain. How can people make fun of a love like that. Maybe none of us have felt it enough to be optimistic enough to believe. I don't know.

Maryam

There are many things that could be said about this story, but I'll try to keep it short.

First, unfortunately, I have a lesser opinion of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy after hearing Bergin in his interviews (about her using drugs, his allegation of their 'love affair' AFTER her marriage - which essentially makes her an adultress and him a fornicator, also it appears that Bessett is essentially using Bergin throughout their relationship, etc.);

Also, it is such a shame that A&E's interview with him makes it sound like BERGIN was a victim in this story ---- it is obvious that he didn't care about JFK, jr. as he recklessly accepted Carolyn's calls and visitations to him, after her marriage to JFK,jr. (If he really wanted to help her, he should have asked her what was troubling her and even try to get family members to help her during those times --- but No, he couldn't control himself nor her and obliged himself with her --- that really is horrible);

I got the impression that Carolyn was an oppurtunists and a cad, as well (listening to Bergin's story about their relationship) --- she 'loved' him, but she declined his marriage offer;

she said she did not 'love' Jfk, jr. and she 'loved' him --- but, Bergin finds about their relationship and they marry (whoops! ooh well);

than AFTER the two 'go their ways' & she is married (which means she lied to him about that) ---- she cannot accept the 'spotlight' with her famous husband, which she knew she would have to deal with when she married him, obviously and was somehow disappointed with their relationship (at times) ---- so what does she do? of course, go back to the 'other man' and use him again;

THIS IS A VERY UNFLATTERING PORTRAIT OF CAROLYN BESSETT and also JFK, Jr. (because one got the impression that somehow her husband didn't provide enough love to her and Bergin portrayed her as unhappy and almost depressed with JFK, Jr. ('Where was her husband?' --- 'I don't know' 'I didn't care'; and 'She felt secure in my arms' as opposed to her husband's, I suppose).

We should try to protect and cover our loved ones mistakes and shortcomings (both the living and especially the dead)---- this story may be exciting but it really is a disservice to those involved (especially the families of those who passed away);

May God forgive me if I said anything displeasing to Him!

Freida

I'm sorry, but if you LOVE someone then you keep their deepest and darkest secrets. This guy is obviously only in love with one person - himself! If he really loved Carolyn he would have come out with a book that left OUT the adulteress and drug stuff and denied the other reports. He said she wanted his protection? Then he should have been a man about it and protected her, even in death. The "truth" did not HAVE to be told. But it sure will sell a lot of books.

Tanya

I agree 100% with Jessica - everyone is entitled to there opinion but an uneducated one just makes you sound like dumb.....

JESSICA

DEAR JEN,

IF YOU READ THE BOOK BEFORE YOU STARTED MAKING YOUR COMMENTS YOU WILL SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHY HE WROTE THE BOOK AND DIDN'T LEAVE HER MEMORY ALONE.

HE WANTED TO LEAVE IT ALONE AND WOULD HAVE LIKED TO IF THE RUMERS THAT PEOPLE SPREAD ABOUT HIM WERE TRUE. UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE LIES AND HE WANTED HER TRUE MEMORY TO LIVE ON FOR THE BEAUTIFUL PERSON SHE WAS. NOT THE MONSTER THE MEDIA AND EDWARD KLEIN (AUTHOR OF THE KENNEDY CURSE) MADE HER OUT TO BE. IF YOU EVER DOUBT FOR A SECOND THAT MICHAEL BERGIN DID NOT LOVE THIS WOMEN THEN MAYBE YOU HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND LOOK UP THE AGE-OLD QUESTION, WHAT IS LOVE?

Raj

The things people do to get back into the attention of the public. If he really loved her why in the world would he want to desecrate her memory by crying out to the world, "Hei, I loved her but she was an adultress" Should go back to stuffing himself in underwears.

Raj

The things people do to get back into the attention of the public. If he really loved her why in the world would he want to desecrate her memory by crying out to the world, "Hei, I loved her but she was an adultress" Should go back to stuffing himself in underwears.

Ron

Heh.

I notice that the Post, which of course goes ballistic when, say, Viacom puts a Simon & Schuster author on a CBS show, somehow neglected to mention that Bergin's book is being published by a division of HarperCollins.

sharky

Ron -- based on his IMDB profile, he probably got it from his work on Baywatch, although it seems that the special Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding was filmed in 2003, after Caroline's death. Coincidence? I think NOT.