NEED TO KNOW
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed if he has spoken with his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, weeks after the death of her daughter, Tatiana Schlossberg, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
Tatiana died at age 35 in late December following an acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis
She and her mother had publicly criticized RFK Jr. for his controversial views and siding with President Donald Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is revealing if he has spoken to his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, weeks after the death of her daughter, Tatiana Schlossberg.
The U.S. secretary of health and human services (HHS), 72, spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the Starry Starry Night Gala in Palm Desert, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 31. The event raised money and awareness for breast cancer, with proceeds going to the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health.
When asked if he and Caroline, 68, have been in touch after Tatiana died at age 35 in late December following an acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis, RFK Jr. said, “Not recently.” (The Kennedy family members have a fractured relationship.)
“Everybody’s praying for them,” the politician, who attended the event at the Chaparral Country Club alongside his wife, Cheryl Hines, added. The pair was presented with an award at the third annual gala.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Cheryl Hines (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) at the Starry Starry Night Gala on Jan. 31.
David Crotty/Getty
Tatiana revealed her terminal cancer diagnosis in an essay published in The New Yorker in November.
The environmental journalist, who was the daughter of Edwin Schlossberg and Caroline, and the granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy, died a month later, the social media accounts for the JFK Library Foundation announced on behalf of Tatiana’s extended family on Dec. 30.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Members of the Kennedy dynasty mourned the loss of Tatiana during a funeral held in New York City on Jan. 5. Immediate family — including Tatiana’s parents and siblings, Rose Schlossberg and Jack Schlossberg — attended, as did her husband, George Moran, and their two young kids, son Edwin and daughter Josephine.
RFK Jr. was not among the large crowd that gathered at The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Upper East Side. That day, he instead rolled out his latest change to vaccine mandates for children, marking a major shift in the nation’s public health policy that reduces the number of vaccines from 17 to 11.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy.
John Parra/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty
Before her death, when she announced her cancer diagnosis, Tatiana publicly ridiculed cousin RFK Jr., who has aligned himself with Donald Trump’s presidential administration.
Calling him an “embarrassment to me and the rest of my immediate family,” Tatiana specifically criticized RFK Jr.’s stance on vaccines and how his HHS appointment affected the American health care system, something she saw firsthand amid her own cancer journey.
Mom Caroline has also spoken out against RFK Jr. Ahead of his confirmation hearings to head the HHS last January, she called her cousin a “predator” and said he is “addicted to attention and power,” asserting that he is “unqualified” when it comes to the nation’s health policy.
The scathing letter was a rare public move for Caroline, who had historically been less outspoken about RFK Jr. compared to other relatives, including some of his siblings, who publicly denounced him for promoting conspiracy theories and siding with Trump, 79.
Read the original article on People