Maria Shriver has shared an emotional tribute following the death of her cousin, journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, who died on Dec. 30 at the age of 35.
“I return to this space today to pay tribute to my sweet, beloved Tatiana, who left this earth today,” Shriver wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday, alongside photos of Schlossberg. She described herself as heartbroken, noting that Tatiana “loved life,” cherished the life she built, and “fought like hell to try to save it.”
“I cannot make sense of this. I cannot make any sense of it at all,” Shriver added. “None. Zero.”
Shriver praised Schlossberg’s work as a journalist, writing that she used her words to educate people about the planet and how to protect it. She also reflected on the family Schlossberg built with her husband, George Moran, and their children, Eddie and Josie, calling her “valiant, strong, courageous.”
She went on to commend Schlossberg’s mother, Caroline Kennedy, calling her “a rock” and a source of strength and love for the entire family, including Schlossberg’s siblings, children, cousins, and friends, as well as the doctors who cared for her.
Shriver is the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, making her a first cousin once removed of Schlossberg. Schlossberg died after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
Schlossberg’s family announced her death in a social media post shared by the JFK Library Foundation, writing, “Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” and signing the message with the names of her husband, children, parents, and siblings.
An accomplished environmental journalist, Schlossberg was the daughter of Caroline and Edwin Schlossberg and the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy. She spent several years covering science and climate issues for The New York Times and previously worked at The Record in New Jersey. In 2019, she published a book on climate change, Inconspicuous Consumption.
In an essay published in The New Yorker in November, Schlossberg revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer shortly after the birth of her daughter, Josephine, in 2024. She wrote that she had felt healthy and active at the time, making the diagnosis all the more shocking.
In her message, Shriver encouraged readers to seek out Schlossberg’s essay, calling it extraordinary. She also vowed that those left behind would make sure Eddie and Josie grow up knowing who their mother was.
“May we all hold Tatiana’s family in our collective embrace not just today, but in the days ahead,” Shriver wrote. “And may each of you who read this know how lucky you are to be alive right now. Please pause and honor your life. It truly is such a gift.”
Shriver is also the first cousin of Caroline Kennedy. Her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was the younger sister of President John F. Kennedy.
