Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, who was one of the three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has passed away at the age of 35 after battling leukemia. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024 when she was 34 years old, during her stay in the hospital for the birth of her second child. Her white blood cell count was found to be high, leading to the discovery of her condition, which is particularly uncommon in younger individuals.
Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed her terminal diagnosis in a poignant essay published in The New Yorker in November 2025. In the essay titled "A Battle With My Blood," she detailed her grueling experiences facing chemotherapy, undergoing two stem cell transplants, and participating in clinical trials. Despite her fight for survival, her doctor indicated she might only have a year left to live during her most recent trial.
A family statement confirming her death was shared on social media by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts," the statement conveyed, but it did not specify the cause of death or details regarding her passing location.
Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy, expressed her sorrow on social media, describing Schlossberg as "the light, the humor, the joy." Shriver hailed her as a remarkable journalist who effectively educated others about environmental issues and their importance. "She loved her life, and she fought like hell to try to save it," Shriver highlighted, reflecting on Schlossberg's strength and determination.
During the November essay, Schlossberg also commented on the policies of her mother's cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who served as Health and Human Services Secretary. She criticized his support for policies that she believed could negatively affect cancer patients, including funding cuts amounting to nearly half a billion dollars for mRNA vaccine research, technology that could be vital in cancer treatment.
Schlossberg had a successful career as a journalist, focusing on climate change and environmental issues for The New York Times Science section. Her book, "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have," published in 2019, earned her the Society of Environmental Journalists' Rachel Carson Environment Book Award in 2020.
In her reflective writing, Schlossberg expressed concerns about her children not remembering her and the deep sadness of not being able to continue her life with her husband, George Moran. Despite her family's efforts to shield her from their pain, she felt their struggles keenly. She articulated her feelings of having added a new tragedy to her mother Caroline Kennedy's life, who was only five years old when her father was assassinated and ten when her uncle was killed.
Schlossberg's passing has left her family and friends mourning a vibrant and dynamic individual. Shriver remembered her as valiant, smart, sassy, and full of love. "She was smart, wicked smart, as they say, and sassy. She was fun, funny, loving, caring, a perfect daughter, sister, mother, cousin, niece, friend, all of it," she remarked faithfully honoring Schlossberg's memory.
The family continues to grapple with the loss, which adds to the tragic legacy they have faced, including other significant losses within the Kennedy family over the years.
