Olivia Nuzzi is out at New York magazine over undisclosed relationship with RFK

By Liam Reilly and Hadas Gold, CNN

New York (CNN) — Olivia Nuzzi has parted ways with New York magazine, the publication said Monday, after the star Washington correspondent was placed on leave last month over a previously undisclosed “personal relationship” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Nuzzi’s departure comes after the magazine enlisted the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine to review her work and concluded that her relationship with Kennedy, the former independent presidential candidate who was the subject of a lengthy New York cover story, did not result in inaccuracies or bias.

“They reached the same conclusion as the magazine’s initial internal review of her published work, finding no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias,” New York said in a statement on its website. “Nevertheless, the magazine and Nuzzi agreed that the best course forward is to part ways.”

“Nuzzi is a uniquely talented writer and we have been proud to publish her work over her nearly eight years as our Washington Correspondent,” the magazine added. “We wish her the best.”

In a statement, Ari Wilkenfeld, an attorney for Nuzzi, said the journalist was “gratified though not surprised that two different investigations have determined that her reporting on the 2024 campaign was sound and that she did nothing wrong.”

“For nearly eight years, she consistently produced critically celebrated and hugely popular journalism in her capacity as the Washington Correspondent for New York Magazine,” Wilkenfeld said. “She is grateful for the editors, fact checkers, and artists with whom she worked and to the readers who have supported her with their time, subscriptions, and engagement. She looks forward to the next chapter of her career.”

A Kennedy spokesperson told CNN at the time, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.”

Nuzzi’s departure comes a month after a bombshell report in Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter revealed the writer had acknowledged having “engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign.” A person with direct knowledge of the matter later confirmed to CNN the person was Kennedy.

Nuzzi’s undisclosed relationship with a reporting subject crossed long-held journalistic standards. While journalists are often familiar with sources, they are expected to maintain a professional distance or risk losing the trust of readers and colleagues alike over the possibility of bias even when none is present.

Nuzzi’s profile of Kennedy, which included a hike with the then-presidential candidate, was published in November 2023. Nuzzi said her relationship with Kennedy “turned personal” the following month and ended in August.

“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 in a statement at the time.

Earlier this month, Nuzzi accused her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza, Politico’s chief Washington correspondent and Playbook newsletter author, in court filings of orchestrating a harassment and blackmail campaign against her after the duo broke off their engagement over Nuzzi’s relationship with Kennedy.

Lizza denied the allegations and accused his ex-fianceé of “catastrophically reckless behavior” that resulted in their breakup. In a court filing, Lizza said Nuzzi told him that Kennedy had manipulated her and that he wanted to “possess,” “control” and “impregnate” her.

Lizza, who was placed on leave by Politico while it conducts its own investigation into the allegations, said in court it was the “second presidential cycle in a row where Ms. Nuzzi’s personal indiscretions have sabotaged” a book project the couple had planned to write about the 2020 election.

A person with knowledge of the matter told CNN the Simon and Schuster book is still under contract and that the publisher has not asked for its advance funds to be repaid.

CNN’s Brian Stelter and Katelyn Polantz contributed reporting.

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