Debunked: Kennedy Assassination Photo

A photo allegedly shows a closeup of Jackie Kennedy climbing on the back of the limousine with John F. Kennedy slumped in the seat behind her.

It’s a Reenactment Photo

The photo shown is simply a production still from a 1970s reenactment of the Kennedy assassination. Let’s first, however, take a look at what has been claimed about the photo as it has been circulated online for several years.

The tweet below from March 25, 2015 is an example of the image circulated as if it were a genuine photo from 1963.

Jackie Kennedy reaches for help after President JFK is shot in Dallas, Texas 1963. pic.twitter.com/MmsSp0rRdJ

— Old Pics Archive (@oldpicsarchive) March 25, 2015

Production Still

The image shown above was not taken in 1963, but in the 1970s. It is a production still from the 1977 TV movie The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. The woman in the photo is actress Cristine Rose, who played Jackie Kennedy in the film.  Stuntman Larry Hill played the secret service agent, while Don Gazzaway is seen slumped over in the role of the President.

The image was published by UPI in 2011 as part of the 48th anniversary of the assassination, citing the actors listed above.

Other Clues

There are additional clues which indicate this photo was not taken on November 22, 1963.

• No photos from this vantage point exist of the assassination.
• Although the President is slumped in the back seat, there is no blood or apparent injury to the man’s head.
• Men standing on the sidewalk can be seen wearing 1970s-era bell-bottom pants.
• There is a space between the head rests, which was not present in Kennedy’s actual car.

Bottom Line

An image allegedly shows a close-up view of Jackie Kennedy on the back of the presidential limousine during the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The photo is merely a production still from a reenactment of the event for a 1970s TV movie.

Updated May 28, 2016
Originally published March 2015