New York mag puts reporter Olivia Nuzzi on leave for alleged ‘personal relationship’ with RFK Jr.

Nuzzi releases statement apologizing for not disclosing ‘personal’ relationship earlier, says it was ‘never physical’
New York Magazine announced Thursday night that reporter Olivia Nuzzi has been placed on leave following an internal investigation that revealed she had a personal relationship with a significant figure in the 2024 presidential race, reportedly former candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The magazine stated that Nuzzi acknowledged this relationship to editors, which constituted a breach of their conflict of interest and disclosure standards.

As the magazine’s Washington Correspondent, Nuzzi has conducted several prominent interviews during her coverage of the election, including a feature on Kennedy late last year. In a statement, she clarified that while she did not engage in a physical relationship with the individual, she did have “personal” communications, without naming Kennedy.

In her statement, Nuzzi acknowledged that earlier this year, some communications with a former reporting subject became personal. She emphasized that she did not report on this subject or use them as a source, and while the relationship was not physical, it should have been disclosed to avoid any appearance of conflict. Nuzzi expressed regret for not disclosing the relationship sooner and apologized to her colleagues at New York.

A spokesperson for Kennedy also denied any physical relationship, stating they met only once during an interview, which he described as a “hit piece.”

New York Magazine indicated that had it known about the relationship, Nuzzi would have been removed from her campaign reporting duties, and an internal review found no inaccuracies or bias in her work. Currently, she is on leave while a more extensive third-party review is conducted, with the magazine acknowledging a breach of trust with its readers.

Status reported that the alleged relationship with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines, did not begin until after a November 2023 profile had been published, and that Nuzzi did not proactively disclose it to the magazine.

Nuzzi did not provide further comment when requested. New York Magazine also declined to comment on the report regarding Kennedy. Recently, Nuzzi made headlines when Bloomberg reportedly canceled significant promotion of her six-episode interview series, “Working Capital,” following backlash from the left over a critical report she wrote about President Biden. This piece examined Biden’s mental decline and the “conspiracy of silence” aimed at keeping it from public knowledge. Biden subsequently dropped out of the 2024 race shortly after Nuzzi’s report was published, amid growing pressure from the Democratic Party.