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Kennedy family mourns loss of Tatiana Schlossberg
The granddaughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Tatiana Schlossberg, has died at the age of 35, her family announced on Wednesday. The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation shared the news on social media, stating, "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts."
A public battle with cancer
In November, Schlossberg, a respected climate journalist, revealed she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She disclosed in a poignant essay that doctors had given her less than a year to live.
Last month, The New Yorker published her deeply personal account, titled "A Battle With My Blood," where she detailed her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024, just after the birth of her second child. "My first thought was that my kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn't remember me," she wrote.
Treatment and prognosis
Schlossberg underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, but medical professionals did not offer an optimistic outlook. She reflected on the emotional toll her illness would take on her family, which has faced multiple tragedies over the decades. Her grandfather, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963, and her uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., died in a plane crash in 1999.
Her younger brother, Jack Schlossberg, is currently running for Congress in New York.
A life of service and legacy
In her essay, Schlossberg expressed her sorrow over adding another tragedy to her family's history. "For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry," she wrote. "Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family's life, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."
She also voiced disappointment in the political appointment of her relative, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tributes pour in
Maria Shriver, a journalist and former First Lady of California, paid tribute to Schlossberg on Instagram, calling her "sweet, beloved Tatiana" and someone who "loved her life."
"She created a beautiful life with her extraordinary husband George, and children Eddie and Josie. She fought like a warrior. She was valiant, strong, courageous."
Maria Shriver
Shriver also highlighted Schlossberg's professional contributions: "Tatiana was a great journalist, and she used her words to educate others about the earth and how to save it."
A career dedicated to climate journalism
Before her diagnosis, Schlossberg built a notable career as a climate journalist. She authored the book Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have and wrote extensively on climate issues for The New York Times.
In December 2021, she reported on innovative local projects in London that aimed to harness energy from the Underground to heat homes, contributing to the fight against climate change.
In a 2019 interview with NBC News, Schlossberg described climate change as "the biggest story in the world," encompassing science, nature, politics, health, and business. "To me, looking at this as a journalist, it seemed like a really important story to tell," she said. "And if I could help communicate about it, that might inspire other people to get involved and work on the issue."
Survivors
Schlossberg is survived by her husband, George Moran, and their two young children, three-year-old Edwin and one-year-old Josephine. She was the daughter of designer Edwin Schlossberg and diplomat Caroline Kennedy.
