Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist and one of the three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at the age of 35 following a battle with leukemia. She was the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg. Schlossberg publicly disclosed her terminal cancer diagnosis in a November 2025 essay published in The New Yorker, revealing her struggle with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer. The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced her passing via social media on Tuesday, stating, "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts." The announcement did not specify the exact cause or place of her death.
Schlossberg first discovered her illness in May 2024 at the age of 34, during a hospital stay for the birth of her second child. Her physician noted an abnormally high white blood cell count, which was later diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia with an uncommon mutation typically seen in older patients.
In her essay titled "A Battle With My Blood," Schlossberg detailed the arduous treatment course she endured, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and enrollment in clinical trials for experimental therapies. During the latest trial, her doctor informed her that medical intervention might extend her life by only about a year.
Beyond her personal health battle, Schlossberg criticized health policies supported by her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as the Health and Human Services Secretary. She expressed concern that funding cuts he advocated could negatively affect patients like herself who depend on research advances, specifically pointing out reductions in investment for mRNA vaccine technology, which holds potential for cancer treatment. Schlossberg's mother, Caroline Kennedy, had publicly urged senators to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation.
Tatiana Schlossberg was a respected reporter who focused on climate change and environmental issues for The New York Times' Science section. Her 2019 book "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have" earned the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists in 2020.
In her New Yorker essay, Schlossberg shared her fears about the future for her young daughter and son, worrying they might not remember her. She described feeling robbed of the opportunity to continue her life with her husband, George Moran. Although her family—her parents Caroline and Edwin, along with her siblings Rose and Jack Schlossberg—endeavored to conceal their grief, Schlossberg said she felt their pain daily.
She reflected on lifelong efforts to be a devoted daughter, sister, and student, emphasizing her desire to protect her mother from distress. The diagnosis introduced a new sorrow into her family's history that she found impossible to prevent.
Caroline Kennedy, Schlossberg's mother, has experienced significant family tragedy. She was five years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and ten when her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968 during a presidential campaign. Additionally, her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., died in a 1999 plane crash along with his wife and her sister near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Tatiana Schlossberg is survived by her husband, children, parents, and siblings. Her death marks a profound loss for a family long intertwined with American history and public service, and for the sphere of environmental journalism where she made notable contributions.
Schlossberg first discovered her illness in May 2024 at the age of 34, during a hospital stay for the birth of her second child. Her physician noted an abnormally high white blood cell count, which was later diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia with an uncommon mutation typically seen in older patients.
In her essay titled "A Battle With My Blood," Schlossberg detailed the arduous treatment course she endured, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and enrollment in clinical trials for experimental therapies. During the latest trial, her doctor informed her that medical intervention might extend her life by only about a year.
Beyond her personal health battle, Schlossberg criticized health policies supported by her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as the Health and Human Services Secretary. She expressed concern that funding cuts he advocated could negatively affect patients like herself who depend on research advances, specifically pointing out reductions in investment for mRNA vaccine technology, which holds potential for cancer treatment. Schlossberg's mother, Caroline Kennedy, had publicly urged senators to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation.
Tatiana Schlossberg was a respected reporter who focused on climate change and environmental issues for The New York Times' Science section. Her 2019 book "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have" earned the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists in 2020.
In her New Yorker essay, Schlossberg shared her fears about the future for her young daughter and son, worrying they might not remember her. She described feeling robbed of the opportunity to continue her life with her husband, George Moran. Although her family—her parents Caroline and Edwin, along with her siblings Rose and Jack Schlossberg—endeavored to conceal their grief, Schlossberg said she felt their pain daily.
She reflected on lifelong efforts to be a devoted daughter, sister, and student, emphasizing her desire to protect her mother from distress. The diagnosis introduced a new sorrow into her family's history that she found impossible to prevent.
Caroline Kennedy, Schlossberg's mother, has experienced significant family tragedy. She was five years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and ten when her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968 during a presidential campaign. Additionally, her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., died in a 1999 plane crash along with his wife and her sister near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Tatiana Schlossberg is survived by her husband, children, parents, and siblings. Her death marks a profound loss for a family long intertwined with American history and public service, and for the sphere of environmental journalism where she made notable contributions.