Olivia Nuzzi, a prominent writer for New York magazine, has been placed on leave while a “third-party review” is conducted. This follows her admission that she engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject related to the 2024 campaign while reporting on it.
Although the magazine did not name the individual, a source informed CNN that the relationship was with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent and has recently endorsed Donald Trump. The relationship was characterized as emotional and digital, rather than physical.
A spokesperson for Kennedy stated, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once for an interview she requested, which resulted in a hit piece.”
The story was initially reported by Oliver Darcy on Thursday night.
In a statement to CNN, Nuzzi acknowledged that her interactions with a reporting subject had become personal and expressed regret for not disclosing this to the publication. “Earlier this year, the nature of some communication with a former reporting subject turned personal. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source,” she explained. “The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to avoid 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.”
In a note to readers, New York magazine confirmed that Nuzzi is on leave while a thorough third-party review is underway.
Nuzzi wrote a profile of Kennedy last November and has covered Trump and the 2024 campaign extensively since then. The magazine noted that Nuzzi recently acknowledged the relationship, which violated its standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosures.
“Had we known about this relationship, she would not have been permitted to continue covering the presidential campaign,” the statement added.
While an internal review of her published work found no inaccuracies or bias, the magazine expressed regret for the breach of trust with its readers.
