In a candid statement, New York Magazine acknowledged, "Had we been privy to this romantic entanglement, our coverage of the presidential campaign would have taken a different course, with Olivia Nuzzi's involvement promptly halted." The revelation came after the magazine placed its Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, on leave, following allegations of a romantic involvement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a source confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
The magazine's official communication to THR on Thursday painted a clear picture: "Recently, our esteemed Washington Correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, confessed to our editorial team that she had embarked on a personal relationship with an individual who was previously a subject of her reporting on the 2024 campaign. This admission constitutes a breach of our stringent conflict of interest policies and disclosure norms."
The statement further emphasized, "Had we been aware of this connection, Ms. Nuzzi's role in covering the presidential race would have ceased immediately. A meticulous internal audit of her published work has yielded no inaccuracies or signs of bias. Nonetheless, she is currently on leave, pending a more exhaustive, third-party investigation. We deeply regret this transgression, which has eroded our readers' trust."
While Kennedy's name was not explicitly mentioned, insiders familiar with the matter disclosed to Status' Oliver Darcy that Nuzzi had failed to voluntarily disclose her alleged relationship with Kennedy, and the magazine only came to know of it recently. Darcy's report suggested that the rumored romance blossomed around the turn of the year, subsequent to Nuzzi's November 2023 profile on the former presidential hopeful.
In her own statement, Nuzzi expressed remorse, stating, "Earlier this year, the tone of my interactions with a former reporting subject shifted into personal territory. Throughout this period, I refrained from directly covering or sourcing from this individual. While the relationship remained platonic, it should have been disclosed to avoid any perceived conflict. I profoundly regret not doing so promptly and extend my sincere apologies to those I've let down, particularly my colleagues at New York Magazine."
Nuzzi, a political reporting prodigy who left Fordham University to pursue her passion at The Daily Beast, has carved a niche for herself, notably during the Trump presidency with her insightful features and access to the White House. Her career highlight includes being granted access to inspect Trump's injured ear after the assassination attempt in July, which formed the cornerstone of a poignant feature for New York Magazine.
Just last month, Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed Trump, while maintaining his marriage to actress Cheryl Hines since 2014.
