Famous political reporter Olivia Nuzzi has hit pause at New York Magazine after rumours of her alleged romance with RFK Jr. made waves online. According to the magazine, Nuzzi recently confessed to editors that she had been involved with RFK Jr. while covering his presidential campaign, raising serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest related to her job.
While an internal review found no inaccuracies in her work, the magazine is now conducting a more thorough third-party investigation and expressed regret over this breach of trust with their readers. Amid this, an old tweet has resurfaced where she called out the unrealistic and often damaging stereotypes of women in the media.
Oliva Nuzzi on leave after alleged romance with RFK Jr.
The magazine issued a lengthy statement clarifying their stance, noting that had they known about the connection earlier, she wouldn't have been allowed to continue her coverage. "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," a spokesperson for New York Magazine said in a statement to the Staus.
Olivia Nuzzi acknowledges getting ‘personal’ with the subject
In her own words, Nuzzi said she started getting too personal with someone she used to report on a while back this year, even though she didn't use them as a source for her work. While the relationship wasn't physical, she admitted she should have disclosed it to avoid any appearance of conflict and expressed regret for not doing so sooner. “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,” the statement further read.
Oliva Nuzzi’s old tweet resurfaces calling out Hollywood's portrayal of female journalists
{{/usCountry}}In her own words, Nuzzi said she started getting too personal with someone she used to report on a while back this year, even though she didn't use them as a source for her work. While the relationship wasn't physical, she admitted she should have disclosed it to avoid any appearance of conflict and expressed regret for not doing so sooner. “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,” the statement further read.
Oliva Nuzzi’s old tweet resurfaces calling out Hollywood's portrayal of female journalists
{{/usCountry}}In 2015, Nuzzi called out Hollywood for its ‘damaging’ portrayal of female journalists—often depicted as seductive figures willing to compromise their integrity for a story.
Reflecting on her own experiences, Nuzzi once recounted an encounter with two teenagers who assumed her work involved seduction rather than serious reporting. Now, as rumours about her relationship with the former presidential candidate have surfaced, netizens have dug up her past tweets and articles, highlighting the contrast between her critique and the current controversy.
Although New York Magazine did not specifically mention Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sources familiar with the situation told Status that Olivia Nuzzi did not initially disclose her alleged relationship with Kennedy. The magazine came up with the issue first after learning about the controversy recently.
“There. Is. Always. A. Tweet,” an X user commented. “They say like attracts like.... her ego, his ego saw their twin,” another commented. “Wasn’t she the one who wrote this piece, lol, the contrast,” a third chimed in.
Kennedy’s camp denied the relationship
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s team, who recently paused his election campaign in key battleground areas, denied any romantic involvement between Kennedy and Nuzzi. "Mr. Kennedy met Olivia Nuzzi only once for an interview she requested, which resulted in a critical article," a spokesperson informed Status.
According to another insider, Kennedy was not used as a source during Nuzzi's election coverage. However, another individual familiar with the situation suggested the two may have become romantically involved around the beginning of the year