When Ryan Murphy Productions released the first teaser images for the upcoming American Love Story, the internet had strong reactions. The new anthology series focuses on the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and many felt the images missed the mark—particularly Sarah Pidgeon’s transformation into Carolyn, which featured an ultra-blonde hairstyle reminiscent of Gwen Stefani.

While social media quickly criticized Pidgeon’s look, I went straight to the source to get the real verdict: Brad Johns, the legendary colorist who created Carolyn’s iconic blonde in the ’90s.

Johns was the colorist of that era, working with everyone from Kate Moss and Cindy Sherman to New York socialites—including Bessette herself. In a 1996 Vogue feature, then-beauty editor Amy Astley dubbed him the “Golden Boy” and “Color Czar” for pioneering his signature “chunking” technique—a method of hand-painting thick highlights, famously debuted on Christy Turlington. By 1997, his eponymous Fifth Avenue salon was booked solid.

When I contacted Johns, he hadn’t even heard about American Love Story—but after seeing the screenshots I sent, his response was blunt: “No one would believe Carolyn in the ’90s would ever have that color from me. It’s too 2024.”

We hopped on the phone to discuss Carolyn’s actual hair color, which Johns described as a carefully crafted “toffee” shade. “We worked hard to get it right,” he said. “Her natural light brown was transformed with my chunking technique—three foils around the face, two underneath for when she wore her hair up.” Those hidden highlights were key for moments like her wedding, adding subtle dimension.

“My goal was a ‘child-of-the-beach’ look,” he explained. “Carolyn had gorgeous hair—she was breathtaking and hilarious. If she saw that [American Love Story] color, she’d be spinning in heaven.” He called the show’s version “totally wrong—the opposite of what we did. Fashion people will watch and think, Why is her hair one flat, ashy color?”

Virginia Smith, Vogue’s Global Head of Fashion Network, recalled sitting in Johns’ chair during her Calvin Klein days (though not at the same time as Carolyn). “He took me from bright blonde to his signature buttery shade,” she said. “He was brutally honest, but always right. At one point, he colored everyone’s hair in fashion.”

When I joked that I hoped Pidgeon was wearing a wig, Johns didn’t hesitate: “Oh, that’s not a wig. Unfortunately.”

Though Johns retired at 60 (he’s now a glass artist in LA), his protégé Maria Choukairi still works her magic at Mia Wagner Salon in NYC. So there’s hope yet: “I’ll call Maria and tell her exactly how to fix Sarah’s hair—just like Carolyn’s,” he said.Here’s the offer—Ryan and team, let me know if you’d like me to introduce you to Johns. He’s committed to doing this properly, for Carolyn.