New York Magazine’s star Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, has taken a leave of absence after revealing a romantic relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presidential hopeful. The magazine made this announcement on Thursday, following a recent disclosure from Nuzzi herself.
According to journalist Oliver Darcy, who first reported the story, New York Magazine had only just learned about the relationship, which had unfolded prior to Nuzzi’s disclosure.
A spokesperson for the magazine confirmed the news to Darcy, stating, “Recently our Washington Correspondent Olivia Nuzzi acknowledged to the magazine’s editors that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazine’s standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures.”
The spokesperson went on to explain that had the magazine been aware of the relationship earlier, Nuzzi would have been removed from covering the presidential campaign altogether. Despite the revelation, a review of her published work found no inaccuracies or evidence of bias. The magazine is currently conducting a more thorough third-party investigation while Nuzzi remains on leave. “We regret this violation of our readers,” the statement concluded.
In a personal statement, Nuzzi, 31, provided further clarification, denying that the relationship was ever “physical.” She described the interactions as “some communication” that eventually “turned personal.” Nuzzi acknowledged her failure to disclose this relationship earlier, noting that she had not reported directly on Kennedy or used him as a source during that time.
“Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York,” she said.
While the exact duration of the relationship remains unclear, Darcy reported that someone close to Nuzzi insists it didn’t start until after she completed her November 2023 profile of Kennedy. Notably, Kennedy, 70, reportedly “boasted” about the relationship to others in private.
Kennedy, who has been married to actress Cheryl Hines since 2014, has yet to comment on the matter, and his representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
Nuzzi, meanwhile, has been engaged to Politico’s Chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza since September 2023.
This situation continues to unfold as New York Magazine digs deeper into the matter with its ongoing investigation.