A New York magazine reporter, Olivia Nuzzi, has been placed on leave after allegedly engaging in a “personal” relationship with Robert F. Kennedy, according to reports. Nuzzi, a prominent political journalist who has been the Washington correspondent for the publication since 2017, disclosed the relationship to editors but did not name the politician involved. However, sources cited by NBC News, the New York Times, and CNN identified RFK, a former independent 2024 presidential candidate, as the subject. Kennedy is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
In a statement issued on September 19, New York magazine confirmed that Nuzzi had acknowledged engaging in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign. The publication explained that this violated the magazine’s standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosures.
The magazine’s internal review of Nuzzi’s work from the 2024 campaign found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias.” Despite this, Nuzzi is currently on leave while a third-party review is conducted. The magazine expressed regret over the situation, saying, “We regret this violation of our readers’ trust.”
Nuzzi also released a statement addressing the situation, acknowledging that communication between herself and a former reporting subject had “turned personal.” She emphasized that the relationship was never physical but admitted that it should have been disclosed to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York,” she said.
Neither Nuzzi nor the magazine has publicly confirmed that RFK is the subject in question. However, sources familiar with the matter confirmed this to multiple outlets, including CNN, the New York Times, and Status, a political newsletter by Oliver Darcy, who first reported the news.
A representative for RFK responded to the allegations, pointing to a November 2023 profile Nuzzi wrote about Kennedy, following an interview in late October 2023. The statement noted, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which resulted in a hit piece.”
In the profile, Nuzzi described going for a hike with RFK, where they discussed his decision to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent for the 2024 presidential campaign, a race he exited last month. Since that article, Nuzzi has continued to report on the 2024 campaign but with less focus on RFK. Her most recent piece, published earlier this month, was an interview with Republican candidate Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
E! News has reached out to representatives for Nuzzi, RFK, and New York magazine for comment but has not yet received a response.
