Olivia Nuzzi’s And Robert Kennedy Jr. Romance Sparks Leave, Triggers Third-Party Review

Olivia Nuzzi, a political reporter for New York Magazine, has been placed on leave following the revelation of her personal relationship with former U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A “third-party review” is being conducted to assess potential conflicts of interest, though the magazine has not found any inaccuracies or evidence of bias in her work so far.

Nuzzi, who serves as the Washington correspondent, admitted to her editors that she was involved in a personal relationship “with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while reporting on it,” according to a statement released by New York Magazine on Thursday. Nuzzi’s relationship with Kennedy allegedly began in December 2023 and ended in August of the same year, though the magazine said her failure to disclose the relationship violated its conflict of interest standards.

In a statement, Nuzzi expressed regret for not disclosing the relationship sooner, clarifying that while it was never physical, it should have been reported to avoid the appearance of bias. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York,” Nuzzi said.

Olivia Nuzzi, born in New York City in 1993 and raised in Middletown Township, New Jersey, rose to prominence in political journalism, having previously covered major campaigns, including Donald Trump’s ascent to the presidency. She was hired by New York Magazine in 2017 and engaged Politico’s chief Washington correspondent, Ryan Lizza, in 2022.

Lizza, in light of Nuzzi’s disclosure, announced that he would step back from any coverage of RFK Jr. at Politico to avoid conflicts of interest.