Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, has publicly expressed support for his sister Tatiana Schlossberg following her revelation that she has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a rare and aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer. Tatiana, 35, shared the news in a deeply personal essay published Saturday in The New Yorker, explaining that her prognosis suggests she may have as little as one year to live.
Shortly after the essay went live, Jack posted a message on Instagram reading, “Life is short—let it rip.” He shared the phrase twice on his Stories, pairing it with simple background images and screenshots from Tatiana’s publication. The message appeared to be both a tribute to his sister and a broader reflection on the gravity of her diagnosis.
Tatiana, a journalist and author, wrote that her cancer was detected unexpectedly during routine bloodwork conducted shortly after the birth of her daughter in May 2024. What began as a standard postpartum examination quickly escalated into a diagnosis of AML, which she described as “abrupt, disorienting, and cruel.” In her essay, she recounted the destabilizing effect the news had on her family, particularly amid the broader national debate over healthcare access.
The Schlossberg siblings—Tatiana, Jack, and their sister Rose—are the children of Caroline Kennedy, former ambassador to Japan and Australia, and the grandchildren of President John F. Kennedy. Their cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serves as President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary and is a central figure in the administration’s ongoing “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. RFK Jr.’s vaccination skepticism and controversial health policies have long been a point of contention within the Kennedy family.
Tatiana acknowledged the political tensions directly in her essay, describing her cousin’s public positions as “an embarrassment to me and the rest of my immediate family.” She highlighted several policy decisions made under RFK Jr.’s oversight that she believes have endangered Americans—including nearly $500 million in cuts to mRNA vaccine research and reductions in National Institutes of Health funding. She expressed fear that the life-saving cancer treatments available to her today may not be accessible to future patients under current policy trends.
The timing of Tatiana’s essay was notable: it was published on November 22, the 62nd anniversary of her grandfather’s assassination. While she did not explicitly draw a connection between date and diagnosis, the publication added emotional weight to a day already steeped in historical grief for the Kennedy family.
In addition to addressing her leukemia, Tatiana described the complications she suffered after childbirth, including a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage that required immediate intervention. She credited the drug misoprostol—also used in medical abortions—with saving her life. The medication is currently under regulatory review, a process she viewed with alarm. “I freeze when I think about what would have happened if it had not been available to me,” she wrote.
Jack Schlossberg, 32, is gaining attention of his own as he prepares a run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He is vying for the New York congressional seat that will open following Representative Jerry Nadler’s departure. Known for his comedic and satirical online presence, Jack has frequently criticized RFK Jr., both in earnest political statements and in tongue-in-cheek social media videos. His posts on Saturday, however, struck an entirely different tone—somber, supportive, and free of satire.
The family rift over RFK Jr.’s role in the Trump administration has grown increasingly public. Just one day before Tatiana’s essay, his younger brother Maxwell Taylor Kennedy published an op-ed sharply condemning RFK Jr.’s work in government, characterizing it as a “betrayal” of their father Robert F. Kennedy’s legacy. Tatiana’s criticism adds another high-profile voice to a chorus of internal dissent.
As news of Tatiana’s diagnosis spread, public responses poured in from journalists, political figures, and members of the Kennedy family’s extensive public audience. Many praised her transparency and courage in writing openly about her illness. Others focused on the broader policy implications she raised, particularly concerning access to reproductive and cancer care.
Tatiana concluded her essay acknowledging both the uncertainty of her future and the gratitude she feels for the support around her. For Jack, whose public profile continues to expand, the message he shared on Saturday was a rare moment of vulnerability—one that underscored both the closeness of the Kennedy siblings and the seriousness of the moment facing their family.