[quote] When Bergin's book came out, a reviewer said something to the effect that poor, naïve Michael Bergen mistook being Carolyn's himbo plaything for an actual boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Carolyn was an ambitious, young independent career woman who had her sights set on a man of distinction, not on a goodlooking doorman/model who took sidejobs being shirtless and serving canapés at private events.

R252, that random reviewer must have not read the book. Bergin directly addresses his situation with Bessette without much naïveté:

[quote] Irish Independent Magazine (official review): ”He quickly cottoned on to the fact that Carolyn was a private person (the opulent frames on the walls of her apartment contained no images, just blank space) and he soon stopped asking if they were boyfriend-girlfriend because, she explained, "I don't like labels. And what difference does it make? You know I love you."

Bergin also admitted that they left each other and re-united many times, and that in the interim he did see other women (including a stripper). So hardly a traditional “naïve” “boyfriend-girlfriend relationship”.

Bergin also claimed that Bessette became accidentally pregnant (twice) and had 2 abortions. He recalled that she was “in tears” because it caught her off-guard and caused her anxiety. I doubt he would be as cruel as to make that up, because it sounds like a somewhat traumatic personal event(s) for her. Though he did question if the 2nd pregnancy was connected to him (as he was abroad during some of that period).

She was definitely "an ambitious, young independent career woman who had her sights set on a man of distinction" (like most Yuppie females). But I somehow doubt she had her life completely under control. Because what intelligent adult (she was reportedly 26 when they met and 27 during her first abortion), who simply uses a male model as a "himbo plaything", would get into an accidental, upsetting pregnancy twice? If that double unwanted pregnancy claim is true, she must have been disorganised in her private life and a bit of a mess. Which is not far-fetched, because both Kennedy Jr. and Bergin describe her as a bit bipolar, with dramatic emotional mood-swings.

Also, if you’re using someone as a “himbo” - why would you travel to meet his parents and family in another state (Connecticut). My impression from available accounts is that Bessette was not a very consistent (or emotionally stable) person, and wanted one thing one day, and another thing another:

[quote] “The only argument they had occurred after they impetuously adopted a puppy, who slept between them the first night. "The next morning, with genuine fear in her eyes, she told [Bergin] it was too much of a responsibility, too much of a commitment. 'I can't even take care of myself,' she said. 'How am I going to take care of a helpless little puppy?'"

[quote] “In a dizzying, often exhaustively adolescent recounting of their break-ups and make-ups, Bergin describes a neurotically unsure woman who always seemed to be in tears, had an odd relationship with food ("She often forgot to eat”) [...].”