Political Reporter Accused of Affair with Former Governor
A political journalist, who previously penned a book about an alleged online romance with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his campaign, was accused by her ex-fiancée on Monday of being involved with former South Carolina governor and congressman Mark Sanford.
Olivia Nuzzi, who left New York Magazine last year amid shocking revelations, reportedly had a close relationship with Kennedy—conducting an interview for the publication. Currently, she’s working on a book about their supposed digital romance, though she hasn’t named Kennedy in it.
This scandal coincided with the end of Nuzzi’s engagement to Ryan Rizza, who previously worked as a Washington correspondent for Politico and co-authored “Playbook.” Now, Rizza runs an independent publication on Substack. He made claims that shocked many in the media, alleging that Nuzzi was romantically linked to someone else in this unfolding drama.
Rizza revealed that in 2020, he stumbled upon something in their Georgetown townhouse that changed everything. After feeling that their joint book project was losing momentum, he felt somewhat relieved when Nuzzi returned to South Carolina, which plays a crucial role in presidential elections. Rizza shared how Nuzzi had published a profile in New York Magazine about an intriguing presidential candidate, later noting it was Sanford. “Maybe this book will actually come together,” he thought.
Before they could complete the book, Rizza discovered a note addressed to her then-fiancé. “In an unfinished love letter, I found enough details suggesting a physical relationship and some sort of conflict… When I realized who it was, my heart dropped,” Rizza recounted.
He described the recipient as a well-known politician, significantly older than Nuzzi, infamous for past scandals. Following their interview, Nuzzi expressed she had become “obsessed” with him, constantly thinking about their time together and sending him increasingly intimate messages while claiming to be interviewing other candidates. “I imagined a secret meeting at his home in South Carolina during a personal crisis he faced,” Rizza wrote.
At that moment, Rizza felt the relationship—and their book project—were over. “I called my agent. ‘There’s a big problem,’ I said, ‘Olivia is involved with Mark Sanford,’” he stated.
Attempts to contact Nuzzi and Sanford for comments were unsuccessful.
Background on Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford, who gained fame in 2009 for disappearing for a week while having an affair, faced a tumultuous trajectory in his political career. Although he endured personal fallout, he later returned to the political arena, securing a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives and even challenging Trump in the Republican primary for 2020.
Nuzzi currently serves as the editor of Vanity Fair. She faced scrutiny regarding her relationship with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines. In earlier statements, a representative for Kennedy denied any physical involvement, asserting that their interactions were limited to “personal” communication.
The fallout from this scandal has also hit Rizza, who was initially placed on leave from Politico after Nuzzi accused him of extortion and harassment. However, after some time, they reached a different agreement, allowing Rizza to return in a lesser capacity while he embarked on his new Substack venture, Telos.
