New York Magazine’s star Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi has taken leave after disclosing that she recently engaged in a romantic relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the magazine said Thursday.
According to Oliver Darcy, who broke the story Thursday night, the magazine only learned of the relationship recently, and notably before Nuzzi disclosed it.
“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 the magazine told Darcy in a statement.
“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 has found no inaccuracies nor 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,” the statement continued.
In a statement Thursday night, Nuzzi, 31, denied that the relationship was ever “physical,” describing it as “some communication” that “turned personal.”
“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 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 at New York,” she said.
It’s unclear how long the relati0nship lasted, but Darcy reported Thursday that “a person close to Nuzzi” insists it did not begin until after the publication of her November, 2023 profile of Kennedy. Darcy also reported that 70-year-old Kennedy “boasted” about the relationship privately.
Kennedy has been married to “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress Cheryl Hines since 2014, his third marriage. Nuzzi and Politico Chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza announced they were engaged in September, 2023.
Representatives for Kennedy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. Hines could not be reached for comment.
