JFK's Granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg Dies at 35 from Rare Leukemia

Tragic Loss in Kennedy Family as Environmental Journalist Succumbs to Rare Cancer

Tatiana Schlossberg, the 35-year-old granddaughter of assassinated President John F. Kennedy and an accomplished environmental journalist, died on December 30, 2025, after a private battle with a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia. Her death was confirmed by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, adding another tragic chapter to America's most storied political dynasty.

A Diagnosis After Childbirth

Schlossberg's cancer journey began in May 2024, when doctors discovered abnormally high white blood cell counts after she gave birth to her second child. 'I couldn't believe they were talking about me. A day earlier I was swimming a kilometer in the pool while nine months pregnant,' she wrote in a powerful November 2025 essay for The New Yorker. 'I was not sick. I didn't feel sick.'

Her diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a rare genetic mutation called Inversion 3 - a chromosomal abnormality that affects only about 1.5% of AML patients and is typically found in older individuals. According to medical experts, this mutation involves a segment of chromosome 3 breaking, flipping, and reinserting itself in reverse order, affecting over 1,000 genes and making the cancer particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant.

Medical Battle and Family Support

Schlossberg underwent intensive chemotherapy and received two bone marrow transplants - first from her sister Rose, who was a match, and later from an anonymous donor. 'We wondered if I would inherit her banana allergy or her personality,' she wrote about receiving her sister's stem cells.

Despite these aggressive treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the cancer repeatedly relapsed. Her doctor eventually told her she had less than a year to live. 'Sometimes I trick myself into thinking I will remember this forever, that I will remember this when I am dead,' she reflected in her essay. 'Of course that won't be the case. But because I don't know what death is like and there's no one who can tell me what comes after, I just keep pretending.'

Professional Legacy and Environmental Advocacy

Beyond her Kennedy lineage, Schlossberg built an impressive career as an environmental journalist. A Yale and Oxford graduate, she worked as a science and climate reporter for The New York Times and authored the award-winning 2019 book 'Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have.' The book won first place in the Society of Environmental Journalists' Rachel Carson Environment Book Award in 2020.

Colleagues remember her as a meticulous reporter who brought scientific rigor to environmental coverage. 'She had this unique ability to make complex climate issues accessible while never compromising on accuracy,' said a former Times colleague who requested anonymity.

Family Criticism and Political Legacy

In her New Yorker essay, Schlossberg didn't shy away from criticizing her cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling him 'a disgrace to me and the rest of the family' for his vaccine skepticism and healthcare policies. She expressed particular concern about cuts to mRNA vaccine research that could potentially help cancer patients like herself.

Her death marks another tragedy in the Kennedy family, which has endured numerous premature deaths including President Kennedy's assassination in 1963, Senator Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash in 1999, and earlier family losses in World War II.

Survivors and Memorial

Schlossberg is survived by her husband, physician George Moran, whom she met at Yale, and their two young children. She also leaves behind her parents - Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and designer Edwin Schlossberg - as well as siblings Rose and Jack Schlossberg.

The family has requested privacy during this difficult time. Memorial services are expected to be private, though tributes have poured in from environmental organizations, journalism colleagues, and political figures who admired her work bridging science communication and public policy.

As the medical community continues to research rare mutations like Inversion 3, Schlossberg's detailed documentation of her illness in The New Yorker provides valuable insights for both patients and researchers facing similar battles against aggressive cancers.