Journalist Olivia Nuzzi and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Photo:Randy Shropshire/Getty; John Nacion/Getty
Randy Shropshire/Getty; John Nacion/Getty
Olivia Nuzzi, the political journalist who allegedly developed a “personal relationship” withRobert F. Kennedy Jr.on the campaign trail, has leftNew Yorkmagazine amid the fallout from their scandal.
“Last month, the magazine enlisted the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine to review Olivia Nuzzi’s work during the 2024 campaign,” the magazine’s statement reads. “They reached the same conclusion as the magazine’s initial internal review of her published work, finding no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias.”
The statement continued: “Nevertheless, the magazine and Nuzzi agreed that the best course forward is to part ways. Nuzzi is a uniquely talented writer and we have been proud to publish her work over her nearly eight years as our Washington Correspondent. We wish her the best.”
Olivia Nuzzi at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 29, 2023.Paul Morigi/Getty
Paul Morigi/Getty
A spokesperson forNew Yorkmagazine previously released astatementon Thursday, Sept. 19, saying that Nuzzi had recently “acknowledged to the magazine’s editors” that she engaged in a relationship with a former subject “while she was reporting on the campaign,” which was “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 spokesperson added at the time.
Nuzzi shared in a statement to PEOPLE in September that “the nature of some communication” between her and a reporting subject had “turned personal,” though she claimed that she “did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source” during that time.
“The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict,” she said. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues atNew York.”
Though Nuzzi andNew Yorkomitted the name of the subject in question, a source with knowledge of the incident quickly toldCNNthat the person in question was Kennedy, 70, whodropped out of the 2024 presidential racein August before endorsing former PresidentDonald Trump.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Cheryl Hines, on Oct. 16, 2024.Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
In the weeks after Nuzzi was placed on leave, numerous rumors emerged about the nature of her relationship to Kennedy, who has been married to actressCheryl Hinessince 2014.
Among them are allegations from Nuzzi’s ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, the chief Washington correspondent at Politico. Lizza is now in a court dispute with Nuzzi, and in a legal filing, he reportedly accused Nuzzi of engaging in “catastrophically reckless behavior.”
Lizza also claimed that Nuzzi described her alleged relationship with Kennedy as “toxic,” “unhealthy,” “stupid,” “psychotic,” “crazy,” and “indefensible,” acknowledging the “huge power disparity” between her and Kennedy,CNNreported, citing the court filing.
Nuzzi allegedly told Lizza that Kennedy wanted to “control,” “possess” and “impregnate” her, according to that same filing.
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A spokesperson for Kennedy told theWall Street Journalthat Lizza’s account of the dynamic between Nuzzi and Kennedy “is not true.” The reppreviously deniedthe reports of a relationship altogether, saying, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded ahit piece.”
Speaking to PEOPLE, a Kennedy spokesperson said, “The accusations about Robert Kennedy are categorically false and he will not participate in reporting on triple hearsay allegations made in a dispute between other people.”
source: people.com