Where Is Michael Bergin Now? Inside the Former Calvin Klein Model’s Life Decades After Dating Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

Emily BlackwoodFri, February 27, 2026 at 5:06 PM UTC

0

Michael Bergin attends the 68th Annual Academy Awards on March 25th, 1996 in Los Angeles, California ; Michael Bergin attends the premiere of "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun" on August 26, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty ; Michael Tullberg/Getty -

Michael Bergin began modeling for Calvin Klein in the 1990s

Bergin and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy reportedly dated after she met John F. Kennedy Jr.

Noah Fearnley portrayed Bergin in several episodes of FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette

John F. Kennedy Jr. wasn't always the only man in Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's life.

The Calvin Klein associate reportedly dated Michael Bergin — Mark Wahlberg's successor in the brand's iconic underwear ads — during her on-again-off-again romance with the lawyer.

According to Elizabeth Beller’s 2024 book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Carolyn and JFK Jr. weren't on speaking terms after he received an anonymous letter claiming she was only dating him for fame. It was during that break that Bergin and Carolyn were in a relationship.

Eventually, JFK Jr. and Carolyn reconciled and got married in 1996. They tragically died in a plane crash three years later.

Here's everything to know about where Michael Bergin is now, years after dating Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

Bergin was a model for Calvin Klein in the 1990s

Michael Bergin at a New Calvin Klein Shop in New York City.Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Sometime in the early 1990s, Bergin began working with Calvin Klein as an underwear model. His career took off after he was photographed in a high-profile shoot with Kate Moss in 1994.

In addition to modeling, Bergin also appeared in numerous shows, including Charmed and CSI: Miami, and TV movies like The Wrong Valentine. His most memorable role was as J.D. Darius in Baywatch, which he starred in from 1997 to 2001.

He dated Carolyn during a break in her relationship with JFK Jr.

Michael Bergin at the Premiere of 'Jeffrey' in New York City ; Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in the Fall of 1998 in New York City.Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty ; Trevor Gillespie/Getty

According to Beller's book, Bergin briefly dated Carolyn in 1992. She had met JFK Jr. the year prior during a suit fitting at Calvin Klein, but stopped speaking to him after he allegedly confronted her with an anonymous letter claiming she was only interested in him for his fame and family fortune.

“Carolyn and I had a very intense love for each other," Bergin told famed author Edward Klein in 2003, per Vanity Fair. "We were inseparable for a couple of years. And I know deep in my heart that she still loved me even after she married John Kennedy. Some things just don’t end.”

Advertisement

However, Carolyn and JFK Jr. were on and off at that time, until they fully reconciled in 1994, getting engaged the following year.

In 2004, Bergin wrote a book, The Other Man: John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette and Me, detailing his relationship with Carolyn.

He married Joy Tilk in 2004

Michael Bergin and Joy Tilk during the One Year Anniversary Party For Belle Gray Boutique in Sherman Oaks, California.Credit: Barry King/WireImage

In 2004, Bergin married Joy Tilk, a former makeup artist who later co-founded the media company Hot Moms Club. According to her bio on The Bergin Group, she sold the company and began working with her husband as the marketing director for his real estate group.

The couple have welcomed two kids — Jesse and Alana — and at least one of them has followed in their father's footsteps as a model.

In February 2024, Bergin celebrated his daughter's 20th birthday, sharing photos from her professional shoots on Instagram. According to his Instagram profile, Jesse is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins.

Where is Michael Bergin now?

Michael Bergin at the premiere of "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun" on August 26, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

According to his LinkedIn profile, Bergin transitioned out of a career in Hollywood and into Los Angeles real estate in 2008. He's been a luxury estates director for Compass since 2018 and previously worked as the estates director for the John Aaroe Group.

He also has his own firm, The Bergin Group.

In August 2024, he reunited with his Baywatch cast for the premiere of the documentary After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun. Bergin described the evening as "epic" in an Instagram post.

Noah Fearnley played Bergin in the FX miniseries A Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette. The former model has not publicly commented on the project.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”