New York magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi found herself in hot water after it was revealed that she had a non-physical “personal relationship” with a former 2024 campaign subject while reporting on the presidential campaign. Sources indicated that Nuzzi had been sexting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was married at the time, while Nuzzi was engaged. Their alleged relationship began after Nuzzi penned a profile on Kennedy, and she mentioned him in several articles published by the magazine under her name.
Nuzzi’s references to Kennedy in her articles seemed to be based on reporting facts rather than personal opinion. Despite the controversy, she maintained that she never used Kennedy as a source for any of her articles. Nuzzi also clarified that the relationship with Kennedy was not physical in nature. However, a tweet from 2015 in which Nuzzi questioned why Hollywood portrayed female reporters as sleeping with their sources has resurfaced, leading to criticism from followers about her conduct given the recent scandal.
New York magazine conducted an internal review of Nuzzi’s published work after the relationship with Kennedy came to light. They determined that there were no inaccuracies or evidence of bias in her reporting; however, had they known about the relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign. Nuzzi is currently on leave from the magazine, and a more thorough third-party review is being conducted to ensure the trust of readers is maintained.
Kennedy, who has been married to actress Cheryl Hines since 2014, found his name mentioned several times in Nuzzi’s articles after their alleged relationship began. Despite the controversy, Nuzzi’s references to Kennedy in her reporting appeared to be based on objective facts and not personal opinion. Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump was also mentioned in a recent article by Nuzzi, with the Republican nominee addressing topics of interest to Kennedy’s eclectic base.
Nuzzi had covered the 2024 presidential campaign extensively and had written several profile pieces for the magazine before the scandal broke. Her engagement to Politico reporter Ryan Lizza in 2022 ended shortly before the controversy made headlines. Nuzzi maintained that the relationship with Kennedy was not physical and that she did not use him as a source for any of her articles. The magazine expressed regret over the violation of their readers’ trust and committed to a thorough third-party review to ensure the integrity of their reporting.
