Olivia Nuzzi, a political correspondent for New York Magazine, has been placed on leave after revealing a personal relationship with a former subject connected to the 2024 campaign. The magazine announced this decision on Thursday evening, specifying that the relationship pertains to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though it reportedly did not commence until after Nuzzi profiled him in November 2023.
New York Magazine issued a statement 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. Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign. An internal review of her published work has found no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias. She is currently on leave from the magazine, and the magazine is conducting a more thorough third-party review. We regret this violation of our readers’ trust.”
In a statement provided by CNN reporter Brian Stelter, Nuzzi expressed, “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.” She further clarified that the relationship “was never physical,” but acknowledged that it “should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict.” Nuzzi expressed regret for not informing her editors sooner and apologized to those she disappointed, particularly her colleagues at New York.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who paused his presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump in late August, has been married to actor Cheryl Hines since 2014. Hines, known for her role in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” actively supported Kennedy during his campaign. Nuzzi announced her engagement to Ryan Lizza, Politico’s chief Washington correspondent, in September 2023.
Darcy’s report indicated that Kennedy would “boast” about his relationship with Nuzzi, but a spokesperson for Kennedy later clarified that he had only met her once during an interview, which he described as resulting in a negative portrayal.