Status Scoop: Nuzzi’s RFK Relationship

New York magazine on Thursday said its Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, is on leave after learning the star journalist had allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a reporting subject. That person is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to people familiar with the matter.

"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 New York magazine said in a statement in response to questions from Status.

"Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign," the spokesperson added. "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’ trust."

In her own statement, provided to Status after this story initially published, Nuzzi confirmed that “earlier this year, the nature of some communication” between herself “and a former reporting subject turned personal.”

“During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source,” Nuzzi added. “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.”

Nuzzi did not proactively disclose her alleged relationship with Kennedy to New York magazine and the outlet only recently learned of it, people familiar with the matter told Status. The alleged relationship did not begin until after a November 2023 profile she wrote on Kennedy had been published, a person close to Nuzzi said. A second person familiar with the matter said the relationship is thought to have started around the new year.

A representative for Kennedy, who mounted a third-party bid for president and recently endorsed Donald Trump, told Status after publication of this story that he denied a romantic relationship with Nuzzi. “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece,” the spokesperson said.