Journalist Maria Shriver has publicly shared her grief following the tragic death of her second cousin, Tatiana Schlossberg, who passed away at the age of 35 after a battle with blood cancer.
A Life Dedicated to Environmental Journalism
Tatiana Schlossberg, an accomplished environmental journalist and author, died on Tuesday. The granddaughter of former US President John F. Kennedy, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia following routine blood tests after the birth of her second child last year.
Based in New York City, Schlossberg built a respected career reporting on science and climate for The New York Times, and her work also appeared in prestigious publications such as The Atlantic and The Washington Post.
Heartfelt Tributes from a Grieving Family
In a moving Instagram post, Maria Shriver, 70, broke her silence to honour her "sweet, beloved" cousin. "I return to this space heartbroken because Tatiana loved life," Shriver wrote. "She loved her life, and she fought like hell to try to save it."
Shriver praised Schlossberg's professional dedication, stating: "She was a great journalist, and she used her words to educate others about the earth and how to save it." The tribute also highlighted the "valiant, strong, courageous" fight Schlossberg mounted against the disease.
The tragedy has left Tatiana's mother, Caroline Kennedy, distraught. Shriver's post commended Caroline as "a rock" and "a source of love" for the entire family, which includes Tatiana's husband, George, and their two young children, Eddie and Josie.
A Mother's Poignant Legacy
In a deeply personal op-ed written for The New Yorker earlier this year, Schlossberg opened up about the profound impact her illness had on her role as a mother. She revealed the heartbreaking reality of being separated from her newborn daughter for almost half of the baby's first year due to infection risks following transplants.
"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," she wrote. In a touching online message, she also shared a conversation with her son, saying: "My son knows that I am a writer and that I write about our planet. Since I’ve been sick, I remind him a lot, so that he will know that I was not just a sick person."
The family confirmed her passing in a statement released via the JFK Library Foundation, which simply read: "Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts."
