Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been deliberately excluded from the funeral of his cousin, Tatiana Schlossberg, following a public rift detailed in a column she wrote weeks before her death.
A Family Decision to Shield from Scrutiny
Tatiana Schlossberg, the 35-year-old granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, died from blood cancer on Tuesday. In a poignant essay for The New Yorker published in November 2024, she revealed her acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and launched a stinging critique of her cousin, RFK Jr, referring to him as the family "embarrassment".
A source close to the family told Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice that the funeral arrangements are being kept strictly to immediate family and close friends, a circle that will not include the controversial Health Secretary. "RFK Jr will not be invited, and the family made that decision intentionally," the source stated. "They are trying to shield the kids and manage their grief without extra public scrutiny or controversy."
Scathing Criticism from a Hospital Bed
In her essay, Tatiana, an environmental journalist, wrote of watching from her hospital bed as her cousin was confirmed for his cabinet role in the Trump administration. She lambasted his policies, writing: "I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers; slashed billions in funding from the National Institutes of Health... and threatened to oust the panel of medical experts charged with recommending preventive cancer screenings."
Her parents, Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, have been described as "tight-lipped and deeply protective" over the funeral plans. Her brother, 32-year-old influencer and Congressional candidate Jack Schlossberg, was reportedly "barely keeping it together" while helping with arrangements.
Deepening Family Estrangement and Controversy
This exclusion marks the latest chapter in RFK Jr's profound estrangement from the storied Kennedy dynasty. In December 2024, The Daily Mail reported that family members were "disgusted, embarrassed, and pained" by allegations of his "online philandering" detailed by a former paramour. Caroline Kennedy, JFK's only surviving child and Tatiana's mother, has previously labelled her cousin a "predator".
Family members have also expressed hope that Kennedy's wife, actress Cheryl Hines, would leave him or compel him to seek help for what they believe is a "serious sexual addiction". His political standing has also suffered; a December 2024 Daily Mail/JL Partners poll found 19% of voters would choose to oust him from Trump's cabinet if forced to pick one member.
Tatiana Schlossberg's death is another tragic blow for Caroline Kennedy, who lost her father to assassination, her brother JFK Jr. in a plane crash, and her mother to lymphoma. Tatiana is survived by her husband, physician George Moran, and their two young children.
