Who is Jack Schlossberg? The Kennedy content creator is gaining popularity on social media for more than just politics.
JFK's grandson is educating the nation about the election, but some are comparing him to his playful late second cousin "Little Edie."
There’s a new Kennedy on the public stage.
No, it’s not Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for president who’s been making waves in political circles, but rather his 31-year-old cousin, Jack Schlossberg.
Schlossberg has the Kennedy charm as the son of a former ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and the sole grandson of former President John F. Kennedy. And his darkly handsome features are reminiscent of his late uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr.
But unlike his more buttoned-up predecessors, the eccentric Schlossberg is making a name for himself through social media, where he has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers.
He may already be on your radar. Vogue has leveraged his voice and perspectives to break down the importance of last week’s presidential debate for viewers. He participates in Kennedy family events, like helping to host the Profile in Courage ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston last month and speaking alongside his mother at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
However, sprinkled within those official moments are many more playful ones that explain why many viewers flock to him online: moonwalking at a Walmart, strutting around to AC/DC in biker shorts, and taking on different characters while criticizing his cousin’s long-shot candidacy.
Who is Jack Schlossberg, the latest Kennedy on the scene? Here’s what you need to know.
?The basic stats
John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, 31, is the son of designer Edwin Schlossberg and Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Jack is JFK’s only grandson and has two sisters: journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, 34, and actress Rose Schlossberg, 35.
?? He’s an actor, writer and 'maybe' politician
A graduate of Yale, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Schlossberg, who’s based in New York City, told Town & Country in June that he’s currently auditioning for acting roles and has begun writing a book “about my method and how I see the world.”
As far as entering what he facetiously called the “family business,” i.e. politics, he made clear it won’t happen anytime soon. “I love politics. I love public service,” he explained. “I’m inspired by that legacy of my family, but I have no immediate plans.”
Still, that hasn’t stopped him from being political on social media, particularly when it comes to praising Biden’s accomplishments during his first term in office or criticizing Republicans on Twitter.
?? How did he get started?
Schlossberg began posting on Instagram in July 2012, initially sharing candid photos of friends and family before transitioning to posting side-by-side images of objects and their definitions, accompanied by dry, witty captions. He’s since posted several clips of himself doing quirky things — often shirtless.
Alternately serious and silly, Schlossberg will one day post a video of himself presenting an award at a gala, the next day he’s debating about which country invented pasta or showing off his backside with a message that reads: “Sext me.”
Meanwhile. on X, which he joined in Feb. 2014, Schlossberg is known for sharing passing thoughts about things like Christ’s body type (“Jesus was thin. Toned, but not big.”) or AI’s sexuality (“If AI is non-sexual, does that limit its potential? Or make it unstoppable?”) or Lent (“LENT is coming. I’m giving up sugar and anger.”).
Schlossberg’s quirky posts attracted a small but mighty following over the years. In recent months, he’s tackled more serious topics, such as the 2024 presidential election and his cousin’s role as a potential spoiler in the race. That’s only added to his broader appeal.
? Why has Jack become so popular?
From the beginning, Schlossberg’s posts have felt like one giant inside joke that he’s sharing with the internet. For many of his 300,000-plus followers across social media platforms, he’s a refreshing entry point into the Kennedy family, most of whom are notoriously private.
Some social media users have described him as a “weird combination of the Kennedy, Bouvier, and Schlossberg genes,” with others calling him “handsome and goofy” and observing the striking resemblance to his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr., his mom’s brother who died in July 1999.
John F. Kennedy's only grandson — Jack Schlossberg pic.twitter.com/qsZ2qXJk7I
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) May 3, 2024
Schlossberg’s popularity grew after a video went viral in Sept. 2023 of him criticizing the policies of his uncle, third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As one of the first members of the Kennedy family to speak out against RFK Jr., he became a flash point in the highly publicized feud between the candidate and the Kennedys.
Schlossberg’s criticism of his uncle made headlines again when he posted a series of clips criticizing his policies, which he performed as characters complete with varying American accents named “Anthony” “Wade,” “Joshua” and “Jimmy.”
Although the videos received backlash, they also brought Schlossberg more notoriety, which prompted him to release a set of sorry-not-sorry clips in his various personas. As “Joshua,” he says, “These characters actually help me cope.”
But politics aren’t the only reason why viewers are attracted to him. He reached new heights when videos of him singing shirtless to “Ticket to Ride” by the Beatles and doing wacky things like cracking open a coconut, hit viewers’ for you pages (FYP).
?? What he’s said about his videos
Speaking to Town & Country in June, Schlossberg said his posts constitute an experiment in determining how messages move online.
“It’s a lot harder for a positive message to spread than it is for a takedown,” he said. “I think that if there was anything strategic about my videos, it was to try to combine those two things so that a strong opinion, which travels fast online, was combined with a serious set of facts. And I think that you need that combination in order to break through and to make things exciting.”
The posts about RFK Jr., he added, were an attempt to convey his serious thoughts about the 2024 presidential election in a funny way.
“I think everyone’s looking for a little bit of levity and humor here," he said. "If it’s all so serious all the time, it’s just too heavy.”
?? He’s endorsing Joe Biden
Schlossberg is a supporter of President Biden, having spoken at the 2020 Democratic Convention with his mother.
“I think it’s up to all of us to try to do what we can,” he told Town & Country about helping the Democratic Party.
“For me, that meant making these videos online. I’m trying to do whatever I can to help President Biden win,” he said, adding that he’s received messages from fans “telling me that I helped them see something they didn’t necessarily see before. If I get one person to think that, that’s a huge success, and I think there’s a lot more than one person.”
?? Fans call him ‘Little Edie’
Schlossberg’s middle name “Bouvier” was Jacqueline Kennedy’s maiden name. Fans have drawn parallels between him and his grandmother’s late cousin, Edith Bouvier Beale, whose eccentric personality was the centerpiece of Grey Gardens. In the classic documentary, she often performed spontaneous dance numbers and displayed a keen sense of joie de vivre.
Many fans have noted that Schlossberg’s affable personality conveys “Little Edie energy,” with some even saying he is “Little Edie reincarnated.”
“People say the Kennedy genes are strong in him,” one follower wrote on X, alongside images of Schlossberg sitting on the ground at a grocery store while barefoot. “But, yall — this is Bouvier behavior. He’s Little Edie born again.”