“This f****** girl reporter. This is the girl reporter who broke into some guy’s house and stole all his photo albums."
(Picture: Getty Images for GOOD+ Foundatio)Dr Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, controversial former television host, and Pennsylvania Senate candidate, allegedly went on a rant to his wife Lisa about a “f****** girl reporter.”
One problem: that same reporter overheard the profanity-laden conversation because they were connected without the Oz family realizing.
Olivia Nuzzi, a New York Magazine writer, released a profile of Dr Oz on Tuesday. Nuzzi’s profile began describing the challenges she encountered in trying to interview anybody she could from his campaign.
Due to the media reluctance of people on Oz’s team, Nuzzi decided to contact him directly, along with his wife.
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Mrs Oz did pick up the phone call. But she hung up immediately. This prompted Nuzzi to call again to see if the hang-up was intentional, leading to a terse conversation.
It ended with Mrs Oz saying, “Have a nice day.” But crucially, the call wasn’t disconnected.
Nuzzi said that she “had mistakenly connected her device to what sounded like the sound system of a vehicle,” and she “remained on the line, hearing every word” of the couple’s conversation.
“She’s down at the office,” Dr. Oz allegedly said. “Your father called and said there’s a reporter from The New Yorker waiting for me down there who said she had an appointment … We?! We had an appointment to meet today!”
Mrs Oz then asked whether or not Nuzzi had “made up” the appointment to which Dr Oz allegedly responded with, “I think she made it up completely! ... It’s called being a liar.”
“This f****** girl reporter. This is the girl reporter who broke into some guy’s house and stole all his photo albums,” said Mrs Oz.
This comment was around an accusation made by ex-Trump aide Corey Lewandowski in retaliation to Nuzzi reporting on details of his alleged “obsession” with a White House official.
Lewandowski has also faced accusations of assault and one charge of the battery from many women. He denied it, and it was later dropped.
The woman is tenacious in her reporting and it pays off in crazy phone luck.
— Mom's Mad, Watch Out (@eradecic) December 28, 2021
great work from girl reporter @Olivianuzzi https://t.co/6Uxx8ikCkY
— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) December 28, 2021
My favorite fucking girl reporter/assassin finds herself accidentally looped into a conversation in which Mehmet and Mrs. Oz debate whether or not they should loop her into a conversation. Long live @Olivianuzzi. https://t.co/CyhQy06H4b
— Taffy Brodesser-Akner (@taffyakner) December 28, 2021
Nuzzi also said she heard the couple complaining about a family friend, Michelle Bouchard, who spoke to Nuzzi beforehand.
This portion of the phone call had confirmed suspicions that Mrs Oz was telling associates not to talk to her [Nuzzi]” because she was “doing a hit piece.”
Nuzzi noted that when she had a chat with Bouchard, she said that Oz’s Senate candidacy “was part of the new guard” of Republicans that was coming up in the GOP.
Towards the end of the profile, Nuzzi said that the call ended shortly after unintentional exchange.
Then the phone rang again.
“It was Lisa Oz. I picked it up and said hello. She paused, then she hung up on me. This time she was successful.”
Check out the complete profile here.
Indy100 has reached out to the Dr Oz team for comment.
