Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of former US President John F Kennedy Jr., has revealed her diagnosis with an aggressive form of cancer, stating that she has been given less than a year to live.
In an essay published in The New Yorker on Saturday, which coincided with the 62nd anniversary of her grandfather's assassination, the 35-year-old climate journalist shared the devastating news. She is the daughter of former US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and has two children.
Schlossberg has been an active critic of her second cousin, Robert F Kennedy Jr., particularly regarding his appointment as US Health Secretary under former President Donald Trump. In her essay, she expresses her alarm at his confirmation, especially while battling her illness, which she describes as acute myeloid leukaemia, diagnosed after the birth of her second child in May 2024.
Despite her previously healthy lifestyle that included running and skiing, her diagnosis came as a shock. Treatments such as chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant have not yielded the desired improvements, leading her doctors to indicate that her time is limited.
“During the latest clinical trial, my doctor told me that he could keep me alive for a year, maybe,” she writes, conveying her concern for her children and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.
The emotional weight of her diagnosis is compounded by her family's history of loss, including the untimely deaths of her uncle, JFK Jr., and her grandmother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She laments the additional burden her illness places on her mother and family, stating, “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family's life, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.”
Reflecting on her cousin's position amidst her personal crisis, she indicates her distress about the state of the healthcare system, which she describes as strained under RFK Jr.'s leadership.
This moment of vulnerability showcases not only Schlossberg's individual struggle but also highlights the tumultuous legacy of the Kennedy family and their persistent, often tragic, presence in American political life.
