New York Magazine’s Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, has been placed on leave after it was revealed that she had an affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The magazine announced that Nuzzi had failed to disclose this personal relationship while covering the 2024 presidential campaign, which, according to them, is a breach of their standards regarding “conflicts of interest and disclosures.”
Nuzzi, known for her incisive political reporting, admitted to the New York Times that her communication with Kennedy had indeed turned personal earlier this year. Although she acknowledged that her relationship with the politician should have been disclosed to avoid any appearance of bias, she still maintained that their closeness had never been physical. Her statement reads:
“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.The relationship was never physical…I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”
The New York Magazine did write in their statement that the reporter’s published work during that time showed no “inaccuracies or evidence of bias” after an internal review was conducted.
Kennedy, who had a brief independent run for the presidency before endorsing Donald Trump, denied having a romantic relationship with Olivia Nuzzi. He stated that they had only met once for an interview, which resulted in a critical article. The New York Magazine has expressed regret over the situation, stating that had they been aware of the relationship, Nuzzi would not have been allowed to continue covering the campaign.
They further announced that they will be conducting a thorough third-party review to ensure the integrity of their reporting standards. Olivia Nuzzi, 31, has been involved in bold and detailed political coverage, including a notable profile she did of Kennedy in November 2023, titled: “The Mind-Bending Politics of RFK Jr.’s Spoiler Campaign.”