Maria Shriver Breaks Silence on Cousin Tatiana Schlossberg’s Death

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Maria Shriver is mourning her cousin Tatiana Schlossberg. 

Following the death of John F. Kennedy’s granddaughter on December 30th after a year-long fight with leukemia, Maria Shriver – a cousin of Caroline Kennedy – posted a touching message of remembrance.

Maria shared on Instagram today that her beloved Tatiana has passed away. She wrote about returning to the platform to honor Tatiana and her incredibly supportive family, who did everything they could to help. Maria expressed her deep sorrow, saying Tatiana cherished life and fought bravely to hold on.

Maria, who shares four children – Katherine (36), Christina (33), Patrick (32), and Christopher (28) – with her ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger, said she’s completely baffled by the death of Tatiana, who passed away at just 35 years old. She stated she ‘cannot make any sense of it at all,’ and feels there is ‘none, zero’ understanding to be found.

Maria also spoke about her affection for Caroline, who shares two children – Rose Schlossberg, 37, and Jack Schlossberg, 32 – with her husband, Edwin Schlossberg.

Maria shared that she’s always been close to her cousin Caroline, ever since childhood. She added that she’s especially grateful for Caroline now, calling her a true source of strength and support.

I was so moved by the recent piece about Tatiana, a mother to little Edwin and Josephine, who sadly passed away. In an essay she wrote for the New Yorker just before she died, she bravely shared her battle with illness. She underwent chemotherapy and even two bone marrow transplants, incredibly receiving stem cells from her sister, Rose. It’s a testament to her strength and the love of her family.

Maria asked everyone, regardless of their beliefs, to keep Tatiana and her family in their thoughts. She described Tatiana as a bright, funny, and joyful person – incredibly intelligent and with a wonderful personality. Tatiana was a loving and caring person who excelled in all her roles as a daughter, sister, mother, cousin, niece, and friend.

For a look back at the Kennedy family over the years, keep reading… 

Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on Oct. 7, 1914.

By 1932, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and his wife had nine children: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., John F. Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy.

Born July 25, 1915, Joe Jr. was going to be president, as far as his father was concerned.

At the 1940 Democratic National Convention, he was a delegate and intended to run for Congress after completing his service in the Navy. Tragically, the 29-year-old and his co-pilot, Wilford John Willy, died on August 12, 1944. They were carrying explosives on a bombing mission as part of Operation Aphrodite when the explosives unexpectedly detonated.

The pilots’ bodies were never found, and they are commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, which honors those lost during World War II.

John, born on May 29, 1917, began his political career in Congress before becoming a U.S. Senator, and eventually won the presidency in 1960.

He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. They had two children: Caroline Kennedy, born November 27, 1957, and John F. Kennedy Jr., born November 25, 1960.

The couple experienced the heartbreaking loss of a daughter, Arabella, who was stillborn in 1956. Several years later, their son, Patrick, was born prematurely on August 7, 1963, but sadly lived for only 39 hours.

JFK was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, one of the defining events of the 20th century.

Caroline served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under President Obama and to Australia under President Biden. She married Edwin “Ed” Schlossberg in 1986.

Caroline and Edwin Schlossberg have three children: Rose, born June 25, 1988; Tatiana, born May 5, 1990; and John, nicknamed “Jack,” born January 19, 1993.

TV producer Rose went to Harvard like her mom and married restaurateur Rory McAuliffe in 2022.

Tatiana, a journalist, later discovered that a 2014 article she wrote for the New York Times about a bear found dead in Central Park unexpectedly involved her cousin, RFK Jr. She graduated from Yale and married her college sweetheart, George Moran, in 2017. They have two children: a son, Edwin Jr., born in 2022, and a daughter born in 2024.

Tatiana revealed in a November 2025 essay for The New Yorker that she had been diagnosed with a rare and terminal blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia. She passed away on December 30th at the age of 35.

Jack, a graduate of both Yale and Harvard’s joint law and business school program, gained attention for his lively presence on social media. He spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and reported on the recent presidential election for Vogue magazine.

In a 2024 interview with Vogue, he shared that his family’s history of helping others motivates him. He feels a strong sense of responsibility to carry on that tradition and wants to make a difference, both through his long-term goals and by making a positive impact right now.

Jack will begin his political career by running for Congress, with plans to announce his candidacy in November 2025 for New York’s 12th congressional district.

 

Before marrying Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, on September 21, 1996, the former first son was widely considered one of the world’s most desirable bachelors. He had even been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.

John F. Kennedy Jr. tragically died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, mirroring his father’s early death and bringing renewed grief to his family. He was flying with his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, when the crash occurred.

Rosemary (at right, with sister Kathleen and mom Rose) was born Sept. 13, 1918.

Rosemary went to a boarding school for students who struggled with learning. However, she also had behavioral problems, and at age 23, her father authorized a prefrontal lobotomy as a solution.

Rosemary underwent an experimental treatment meant to address mental illness, and while Joe had hoped for a positive outcome, she was left severely disabled. She spent the remainder of her life, until January 7, 2005, in an institution.

Rose later told historian Doris Kearns Goodwin that she’d always thought her daughter could have had a more relaxed life within the Kennedy family. However, everything changed—and was lost—in just a few minutes.

Born Feb. 20, 1920, Kathleen got a kick out of life, hence her jaunty nickname.

I was so fascinated by her story! She fell in love with William Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington, and they had a simple civil ceremony in London on May 6, 1944. It was a bit of a rebellious move, actually, because her mother didn’t approve – he wasn’t Catholic. It was heartbreaking, but her wonderful brother, Joe Jr., was there to support her, as he was the only family member who attended the wedding.

A month later, William, a major in the British Army, was killed by a sniper in Belgium.

She stayed in England and became romantically involved with William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, who was married at the time. Tragically, both of them died in a plane crash on May 13, 1948, while traveling to the French Riviera, before he could finalize a divorce.

Eunice was born July 10, 1921.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a passionate advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and the creator of the Special Olympics, wed Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. on May 23, 1953.

They were the parents of five children: Robert “Bobby” Shriver III (born April 28, 1954), Maria Shriver (born November 6, 1955), Timothy (born August 29, 1959), Mark (born February 17, 1964), and Anthony (born July 20, 1965).

Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger on April 26, 1986, at the Kennedy family’s estate in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver served as California’s governor and first lady from November 2003 to January 2011. Their marriage ended shortly after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son, Joseph Baena, with a member of their household staff.

Eunice passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind 19 grandchildren. This included Maria Shriver’s four children from her previous marriage: Katherine (born December 13, 1989), Patrick (born September 18, 1993), Christina (born July 23, 1991), and Christopher (born September 27, 1997).

Katherine married Chris Pratt on June 8, 2019, and they have three children together: Lyla (born August 6, 2020), Eloise (born May 21, 2022), and Ford (born November 8, 2024). Chris also has a son, Jack (born August 17, 2012), from his previous marriage to Anna Faris.

Patricia, born on May 6, 1924, became connected to the famous Rat Pack when she married Peter Lawford on April 24, 1954.

She and her British actor husband had four children: Christopher Lawford (born 1955), Sydney Maleia Lawford (1956), Victoria Francis Lawford (1958), and Robin Elizabeth Lawford, before their marriage ended in divorce in 1966.

Peter, who passed away in 1984, was a close friend and advisor to his brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy. He’s widely believed to be the one who first introduced JFK to Marilyn Monroe when she visited the home of his sister and her husband in Malibu.

I was so saddened to hear about Patricia’s passing back in 2006. And then, just recently, her son Christopher – he’d been married three times – sadly passed away after a heart attack in 2018. It’s been a tough time for everyone who knew them.

The son known familiarly to the whole country as Bobby Kennedy married Ethel Skakel on June 17, 1950.

Oh my gosh, can you believe it? They had eleven kids! Eleven! Their children were Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, and Rory. I’ve memorized all their names, of course. It’s just… incredible!

Oh my gosh, it was just devastating. Ethel was carrying Rory when everything changed. Bobby, my hero, he won the California primary, and it felt like everything was finally possible! But then… then he was shot. June 6th, 1968. I’ll never forget it. It just… it ripped everything apart. She was pregnant with Rory, and it was all so unfair. It still feels unreal even thinking about it.

David Kennedy tragically died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984, at just 28 years old. Years later, his brother Michael Kennedy died in a skiing accident on December 31, 1997, while on a family vacation in Aspen, Colorado. He was 37 and had three children with his wife, Victoria Gifford.

Ethel Kennedy experienced the loss of her husband when her oldest child was just 16 years old, but she later became a grandmother to 34 grandchildren. Sadly, she also outlived two of them: Saoirse Hill, the 22-year-old daughter of Courtney and Paul Hill, who died in 2019 from an accidental drug overdose, and Maeve Kennedy McKean, age 40 and the daughter of Kathleen and David Townsend, who tragically died in a canoeing accident in 2020.

RFK Jr., born Jan. 17, 1954, is a thrice-married father of six.

He and his first wife, Emily Black, have two children: Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy III (born in 1984) and Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy (born in 1988).

They divorced in 1994 after 12 years of marriage. 

RFK III has been married to CIA analyst turned author and TV host Amaryllis Fox since 2017.

The couple have two children together: a daughter named Bobby, born in January 2019, and a son named Cassius Watts Thoreau Kennedy, born in August 2021. They also share parenting responsibilities for Amaryllis’ daughter, Zoë, from a previous relationship.

 

In a 2012 interview with Town & Country, the Stanford graduate shared their belief that life is simply a series of experiences – both positive and negative – and that having more of them ultimately makes life richer.

After Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck in August 2024, even a brief acquaintance with him – as one source described it – was enough to make Kick Kennedy a popular topic online.

A representative for Ben Affleck immediately denied rumors of a romantic relationship, telling TopMob News that reports about him and a person named Kick are false.

So nothing about being a Kennedy had really changed in a decade. Or a century.

I often get asked what it’s like to be a Kennedy,” she shared with Town & Country. “I honestly don’t know how to answer. It’s strange seeing my name or face in the tabloids – it makes me anxious. It feels like reading about someone else, not the real me.”

Despite never meeting her, she felt a connection to the great-aunt she was named after, who had passed away long before her father was even born.

“It’s funny how similar we are,” Kick mused. “She was fun and social and a performer in many ways.”

As a lifestyle expert, I often get asked about the families I admire, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s is certainly one of them. He and his wife, Mary Richardson, built a beautiful family life together, starting with their marriage in 1994. They were blessed with four wonderful children: Conor, born in July 1994; Kyra, who arrived in August 1995; Finn, born in November 1997; and finally, Aidan, who completed their family in July 2001. It’s lovely to see such a close-knit family thriving!

The couple were legally separated when Mary died by suicide in 2012.

Father and sons: Conor, Aidan and RFK III.

Despite becoming famous overnight as an 18-year-old Harvard student – and famously introducing Taylor Swift to his family – Conor has generally kept to himself, even with his activism and other notable activities.

Their relationship didn’t last long – just a few months. Conor eventually went on to graduate from Georgetown Law School, but the story still made headlines.

“Taylor Swift’s ex Conor Kennedy” is now engaged to singer Giulia Be.

Kyra, a regular among the high-fashion set, lives in Milan.

In a video released on August 27, 2024, in collaboration with Elle and Bvlgari, she revealed she’s developing a project to honor her mother’s memory.

In a recent clip, she reflects on whether she’s fundamentally changed as a person. She confirms that she has, explaining that she was one way as a child, but completely different when she grew into adulthood.

RFK Jr. married Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines in 2014.

The actress shares daughter Catherine Young (born March 8, 2004) with ex-husband Paul Young. 

In a 2018 Instagram post for Father’s Day, Kick thanked her dad for giving her so many ‘wacky’ siblings.

Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s seventh child has three daughters with her former husband, Andrew Cuomo: twins Mariah and Cara Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1995), and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1997).

Kerry and Andrew married in 1990, but their relationship ended after a separation in 2003 and a divorce finalized in 2005. Andrew served as governor of New York from 2011 to 2021.

Born on February 20, 1928, as the eighth of nine children to Joe and Rose, Jean Kennedy founded the VSA Kennedy Arts Center and later served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.

She married Stephen Edward Smith, who worked as a strategist for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, on May 19, 1956. Together, they had four children: sons Stephen Smith Jr. and William Smith, and daughters Amanda Smith and Kym Smith.

Jean died June 17, 2020, having outlived all of her siblings.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Kennedy family, and Senator Ted Kennedy was certainly a complex figure. He and his first wife, Joan Bennett, had three children together. Their eldest, Kara Kennedy, was born in 1960, followed by Edward Kennedy Jr. in 1961, and then Patrick Kennedy II in 1967. It’s interesting to look back at their lives and how they’ve carried on the family legacy.

He and Joan divorced in 1982 after 24 years of marriage and he wed Victoria Reggie in 1992.

Kara passed away from a heart attack on September 16, 2011, two years after losing her father. Joan died on October 8, 2025.

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2025-12-31 19:30