Tatiana Schlossberg, the environmental journalist and granddaughter of former US President John F. Kennedy, has died at the age of 35. Her death was confirmed on Tuesday 30 December 2025, just one month after she publicly shared her terminal cancer diagnosis in a powerful essay.
A public diagnosis and a political critique
The daughter of former US ambassador Caroline Kennedy and designer Edwin Schlossberg, Tatiana revealed her illness in November. She chose the anniversary of her grandfather JFK's assassination to publish an essay in The New Yorker. In it, she detailed her struggle with acute myeloid leukaemia and launched a pointed critique at her relative, current US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Ms Schlossberg, a respected environmental reporter, directly linked her experience as a cancer patient to policy decisions. She wrote that measures supported by RFK Jr, a long-time critic of vaccines, could severely harm cancer patients. "As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others," she stated, "I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers."
A private battle and family support
Her cancer journey began after the birth of her second child, when a doctor noticed an abnormally high white blood cell count. This led to the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia with a rare mutation. Her treatment was arduous and extensive, involving multiple rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and participation in clinical trials.
Her family rallied around her during this time. Her sister, Rose, donated stem cells for her treatment. The announcement of her passing was made on the JFK Library Foundation's Instagram account in a post signed by her husband, George, their two young children Edwin and Josephine, as well as her parents and siblings. "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning," the statement read. "She will always be in our hearts."
Legacy of a Kennedy granddaughter
Beyond her famous lineage, Tatiana Schlossberg carved her own path as a writer focused on climate change and environmental issues. Her death highlights the personal toll of illness, particularly for a young mother. In her essay, she spoke poignantly of her fear that her children would grow up without memories of her.
The news has sent waves through political and media circles, not only for the loss of a young life from a prominent American family but also for the very public stance she took in her final days against health policies championed by a senior government official and family member.
