New York Magazine Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi was placed on leave after discovering she allegedly had a romantic relationship with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Although she has seemingly confirmed the same, RFK Jr. had not done the same at the time of writing this article.
New York Magazine shared an exclusive statement with The Hollywood Reporter stating that Olivia Nuzzi revealed to the magazine’s editors:
“that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazine’s standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures. Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign.”
The publication also revealed that they found “no evidence of bias” following an investigation. They then added:
“She is currently on leave from the magazine, and the magazine is conducting a more thorough third-party review. We regret this violation of our reader’s trust.”
Olivia Nuzzi was engaged to Politico reporter and author Ryan Christopher Lizza in 2022. However, the pair called off their marriage in the last few weeks. In July 2022, Nuzzi took to her Instagram account to wish Lizza, who co-authored Playbook for his birthday.
While sharing a carousel of images of the duo, she wrote in the caption, “I love you more every day.”
Kennedy Jr. has been married to actress Cheryl Hines, his third wife, since 2014.
Olivia Nuzzi is a political media journalist
Olivia Nuzzi joined the New York Magazine in 2018 and was Washington’s first-ever correspondent. She often covers news related to presidential campaigns, the White House, and the Republican campaign. She has predominantly covered the Trump administration and the 2020 election.
She gained immense recognition for her sourcing in the Trump White House, and following his assassination attempt in July, the former president let Nuzzi inspect his injured ear, which went viral through the New York Magazine.
The Fordham University graduate began her career in journalism when she was a teenager.
She started as a monthly political columnist for the triCityNews based in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She also wrote for More Monmouth Musings, NSFWcorp, the New York Daily News, The Daily Beast, Politico, Mediate, and GQ Esquire, among others.
Adding to her resume, Olivia Nuzzi wrote and executively produced the comedy A Message From the State alongside Gina Mingacci. She also produced the MSNBC documentary Four Seasons Total Documentary.
In 2017, Nuzzi was named in Forbes’s 2018 30 under 30 list. She was also awarded the American Society of Magazine Editors’ NEXT award.
Olivia Nuzzi released a statement amidst her leave from New York Magazine
Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter reported that Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK Jr. did not begin until after she profiled him in November 2023.
CNN reporter Brian Stelter obtained a statement from Nuzzi regarding her recent forced leave from the New York Magazine, in the same, she disclosed that she did not have a physical relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She said:
“Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York”
When The Post interviewed the Kennedy clan, a representative for Kennedy Jr. said in a statement:
“Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.”
It was also reported that Kennedy Jr. and Nuzzi spent time together at the former’s Brentwood, California, home and that the duo also went hiking together in the Santa Monica mountains.