New York magazine political reporter Olivia Nuzzi and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “were not particularly careful” about keeping their emotional entanglement private, sources told The Post about the shocking revelations.
Nuzzi, 31, and the Kennedy scion, 70, were completely unconcerned about the inappropriate relationship and “may have told many people about it” before it was publicly revealed on Thursday, a source told The Washington Post.
“They weren't really paying attention. There's a reason why New York Magazine found out about it,” the source explained.
The magazine said Thursday that Nuzzi had been placed on administrative leave after “he had a personal relationship with a former campaign associate while covering the 2024 presidential election, violating the magazine's standards on conflicts of interest and disclosure.”
Other sources told The Post that New York magazine's higher-ups were already aware of the relationship and had grilled Nuzzi, despite reports that he had been honest with his editors.
A New York magazine spokesman declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the newsroom is abuzz over a scandalous allegation involving a star reporter.
“It's all everyone's talking about,” a New York magazine source said, noting that the information began to trickle out after newsroom leaders and Nuzzi's editors participated in a video call led by editor-in-chief David Haskell on Thursday night.
Haskell also circulated a memo to the magazine's staff on Friday morning explaining that management had learned of Nuzzi's connections several days ago and was conducting an independent investigation into the scandal, the people said.
Sources told The Washington Post that Nuzzi and RFK Jr., who spoke to the magazine in fall 2023, were allegedly sexting around the new year.
Without naming RFK Jr., Nuzzi acknowledged in his own statement that “the nature of some of the communications between me and former coverage subjects became personal” earlier this year.
She claims there was no physical relationship.
RFK Jr., who is married to “Crazy Love” actress Cheryl Hines, met Nuzzi “only once in his life, in an interview at her request, which resulted in the libelous article,” a Kennedy spokesman told The Washington Post when asked about the pair's alleged relationship.
Nuzzi became engaged to Politico reporter Ryan Lizza in September 2022. Lizza confirmed the couple's breakup in a statement to Politico on Friday, calling Nuzzi his “ex-fiancé.” It's unclear when the couple split.
