Journalist Olivia Nuzzi Admits to Unethical ‘Personal Relationship’ After New York Magazine Launches Probe of Texts to RFK Jr.

‘Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign,’ a magazine spokesman said.

Via New York Magazine
New York Magazine's high-profile Washington Correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, admitted to carrying on an illicit “personal relationship.” Via New York Magazine

New York Magazine’s high-profile Washington Correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, admitted to carrying on an illicit “personal relationship,” after she was suspended by New York Magazine over a report that she crossed the line in texts with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Ms. Nuzzi, who has been extensively reporting on the 2024 Presidential Campaign, admitted in a statement released late Thursday that she was involved in a relationship with a subject of her past reporting, adding that there was never a “physical relationship.” She stopped short of providing further details or naming Mr. Kennedy.

“Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal,” she said in a statement to CNN. “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. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues in New York.”

News of the “personal relationship” between the political reporter and former presidential candidate, first reported by former CNN Media reporter Oliver Darcy in his nightly Status newsletter, has raised questions about Ms. Nuzzi’s reporting since she was engaged in the inappropriate relationship during an election year. People familiar with the matter confirmed to Mr. Darcy that it was the former third-party candidate with whom she had been involved.

“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 spokesman for New York magazine said in a statement to Status.

“Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign. An internal review of her published work found no inaccuracies or evidence of bias. She is currently on leave from the magazine, and the magazine is conducting a more thorough third-party review. We regret this violation of our readers’ trust.”

A spokesman for Mr. Kennedy refuted the allegations in a statement to Fox News.

“Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece,” a Kennedy spokesman told Fox News Digital.

Ms. Nuzzi has written several high-profile features during the Presidential Campaign, including profiles on Mr. Kennedy in 2023 and, most recently, on the public perception of President Biden’s mental decline, published shortly before he dropped out of the race in July. 


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use