Drew Barrymore’s September 1996 cover for George recreated the image of Marilyn Monroe serenading President John F. Kennedy—and drew attention because the magazine was founded and edited by Kennedy’s son, John F. Kennedy Jr. In March 2026, Barrymore reportedly revisited the shoot on her talk show, recalling that she asked Kennedy for direction and that he wanted a straightforward, confident performance.
Why Barrymore’s cover recalled Marilyn Monroe
The cover appeared in the September 1996 issue of George, the politics-and-culture magazine founded by John F. Kennedy Jr. Its visual reference was Monroe’s 1962 birthday serenade to President John F. Kennedy, a moment that had become part of American political and celebrity imagery. A contemporary Deseret News report described the cover as evoking that serenade; a later TIME profile characterized Barrymore’s pose as a parody of Monroe in the gown, singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”
Kennedy addressed the reaction at the time. Deseret News reported him saying, “My family is used to all manner of controversy, so I think in the grand scheme of things this probably didn’t register too high on the Richter scale.” That was Kennedy’s own description of his response, not evidence that every member of his family shared it.
How Kennedy explained using his family’s image
In a later account of the magazine, Vanity Fair quoted Kennedy defending his right to engage with his family’s political iconography: “Why is it OK for everyone else to play with the political iconography of my family and I can’t? It’s my family, it’s not offensive to me. Why should it be offensive to you?”
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Vanity Fair also quoted the editor’s letter introducing the cover: “And on our cover, Drew Barrymore reprises what may be the most memorable ‘Happy Birthday’ sung in the history of American politics. Cheers.” The framing was a deliberate reprise of a familiar image, rather than an attempt to pass Barrymore off as Monroe.
What Barrymore reportedly recalled in 2026
Entertainment reports say Barrymore discussed the shoot on The Drew Barrymore Show on March 5, 2026. AOL and Geo News describe her as recalling that she asked Kennedy how he wanted her to approach the pose, and that he preferred a straightforward, confident tone. These are secondary accounts of the segment; without a verified episode transcript or recording, the details should not be treated as a word-for-word record of what Barrymore said.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Finding the original issue
Original Magazines identifies the September 1996 issue as the Barrymore-cover edition. A seller listing identifies the issue but does not establish whether a copy is currently in stock, its condition or completeness, or its current price. Anyone buying a collectible should check the live listing and confirm that the cover and issue match before ordering.
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