Political journalist Ryan Lizza has accused his ex-fianceé, Olivia Nuzzi, of “catastrophically reckless behavior” in a year-long affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which led to their breakup in August. Lizza filed court documents in Washington DC’s Superior Court, claiming that Kennedy manipulated Nuzzi and disclosed details of the relationship to Lizza after their engagement ended. The messy breakup between the high-profile Washington journalists has raised questions about their work and ethics, particularly related to coverage of the presidential election and the Kennedy descendant.
Lizza clarified in court filings that he did not threaten Nuzzi, hack her electronics, or stalk her, as she had previously accused him of. He also denied disclosing Nuzzi’s relationship with Kennedy to her editors at New York magazine. While Nuzzi had secured a temporary protective order against Lizza, a brief hearing in court did not address the accusations made by both journalists. A more substantive court hearing, scheduled for mid-November, could provide additional evidence and witness testimony in the ongoing dispute between Lizza and Nuzzi.
A representative for Kennedy has not responded to Lizza’s allegations in court, where Lizza emphasized that his knowledge of Nuzzi’s affair came directly from Nuzzi herself. Nuzzi’s attorney accused Lizza of attempting to harass and humiliate her, stating that their objective in seeking intervention from law enforcement and the court is to ensure her safety and privacy. The court previously granted Nuzzi’s request to bar Lizza from contacting her and distributing any electronic material without her consent.
Lizza revealed more details of their breakup in court filings, mentioning that Nuzzi admitted to an affair and described it as toxic and unhealthy. He confronted Nuzzi about the relationship on August 17, and even after she pleaded to reconcile, they spent time together until September. Lizza advised Nuzzi to remove reporting material related to Kennedy for an article she had drafted for New York magazine, and suggested that she should pay back a publisher’s advance payment for a joint book project that they had planned.
Lizza expressed disappointment in Nuzzi’s behavior, stating that this was the second presidential cycle where her personal indiscretions had affected their book project. While he did not provide details about a previous affair in 2020, Lizza emphasized that he was devastated to learn of Nuzzi’s year-long affair with Kennedy. The ongoing court dispute between Lizza and Nuzzi has yet to reach a resolution, with a significant court hearing expected in November to address the accusations and counterclaims made by both parties.
