Tatiana Schlossberg, an acclaimed environmental journalist and granddaughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has died. She was 35 years old.
A Public Battle and a Private Legacy
Her family confirmed the news in a statement released by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts," the statement read. It did not provide a specific cause of death or location.
Schlossberg had been publicly battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in May 2024 at the age of 34. The discovery came shortly after the birth of her second child, when her doctor noted an abnormally high white blood cell count. Her cancer involved a rare mutation typically seen in older patients.
Her Final Essay: A Critique and a Farewell
In a poignant and personal essay titled "A Battle With My Blood" published in The New Yorker in November 2025, Schlossberg revealed her terminal diagnosis. She detailed her arduous medical journey, which included multiple rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and participation in clinical trials. During her final trial, her doctor informed her he might be able to keep her alive for "a year, maybe."
The essay also contained pointed criticism of health policies championed by a member of her own family. She took aim at her mother's cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., arguing that policies he supported could harm cancer patients. She specifically cited his role in cutting nearly half a billion dollars for mRNA vaccine research, a technology with potential applications against certain cancers. Her mother, Caroline Kennedy, had urged senators to reject his confirmation.
A Life Dedicated to Environmental Storytelling
Beyond her famous lineage, Schlossberg built a respected career as a science and environmental reporter. She covered climate change for The New York Times' Science section. Her 2019 book, "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have," earned the prestigious Society of Environmental Journalists' Rachel Carson Environment Book Award in 2020.
In her final writings, she expressed profound sadness about leaving her young family. She feared her daughter and son would not remember her and mourned the loss of the "wonderful life" she shared with her husband, George Moran. She also carried the weight of causing her parents and siblings, Rose and Jack, immense pain, a burden she felt powerless to alleviate.
Tatiana Schlossberg's death marks the loss of a passionate voice in environmental journalism and a beloved member of one of America's most prominent families.
