Maria Shriver has broken her silence with a heart-wrenching tribute following the tragic death of her second cousin, Tatiana Schlossberg. The environmental journalist and author, who was also the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 35 after a battle with blood cancer.
A Devastating Diagnosis After Childbirth
Tatiana Schlossberg was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia following routine blood tests taken after she gave birth to her second child last year. The New York-based reporter, who wrote for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post, chronicled her fight against the aggressive disease in a powerful op-ed for The New Yorker earlier this year.
In that piece, she revealed the profound personal cost of her illness, particularly in relation to her newborn daughter. "I didn’t ever really get to take care of my daughter—I couldn’t change her diaper or give her a bath or feed her, all because of the risk of infection after my transplants," she wrote. "I was gone for almost half of her first year of life."
Maria Shriver's Emotional Tribute
Journalist Maria Shriver, 70, expressed her profound grief in a lengthy Instagram post. "I return to this space today to pay tribute to my sweet, beloved Tatiana, who left this earth today," Shriver began. She praised Tatiana's loving family, who "came together and did everything they possibly could do to help her."
Shriver emphasised Tatiana's passion for life and her valiant fight. "Tatiana loved life. She loved her life, and she fought like hell to try to save it," she wrote. "I cannot make sense of this. I cannot make any sense of it at all. None. Zero."
The tribute also honoured Tatiana's professional legacy, stating: "She was a great journalist, and she used her words to educate others about the earth and how to save it." Shriver extended her praise to Tatiana's mother, Caroline Kennedy, calling her "a rock" and "a source of love" for the entire family.
A Legacy of Environmental Advocacy and Family
Tatiana Schlossberg's death was announced by her family via a social media post from the JFK Library Foundation, which simply stated: "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts."
She leaves behind her husband, George, and their two young children, Eddie and Josie. In a poignant online message earlier this year, Tatiana shared a touching insight into how she wanted her son to remember her. "My son knows that I am a writer and that I write about our planet," she said. "Since I’ve been sick, I remind him a lot, so that he will know that I was not just a sick person."
Her words underscore a legacy defined not by illness, but by her commitment to journalism, environmental education, and her deep love for her family.
