KEY POINTS
- RFK Jr is the son of Robert Francis Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while running for the Democratic nomination for president
- Nuzzi has become a high-profile American journalist and television pundit.
- The pair were both in relationships at the time of the alleged messages
Olivia Nuzzi, Washington correspondent for New York magazine, has admitted to "sexting" US Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while covering the 2024 campaign. In a disclosure to the magazine, Nuzzi revealed that she had "engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the campaign." However, she did not initially name Kennedy. The 31-year-old political reporter stated that while the nature of some of her communications with the 70-year-old Kennedy scion turned personal, the relationship was not physical.
RFK Jr.'s Controversial 2024 Campaign
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the late Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, launched an independent 2024 presidential campaign that failed to gain significant traction. His controversial positions, particularly regarding vaccinations, alienated many mainstream voters. Last month, Kennedy unofficially dropped out of the race, endorsing Donald Trump and urging his supporters to back the former president in the upcoming election.
Nuzzi's High-Profile Career and the RFK Interview
Nuzzi has risen to prominence as a journalist and TV pundit known for her sharp political analysis. One of her more recent pieces included a peculiar interview with Donald Trump, during which he invited her to inspect his ear, which he claimed had been injured in an assassination attempt. Nuzzi described the surreal moment in her article: "An ear had never appeared to have gone through less."
Her work with Kennedy was less lighthearted. During a lengthy profile of RFK Jr. for New York magazine, Nuzzi visited his $6.6 million (£5 million) Brentwood mansion, which he shares with his third wife, actress Cheryl Hines. They went hiking together in the Santa Monica mountains, and Nuzzi's report delved into Kennedy's mannerisms, persona, and political beliefs. At the time, her relationship with Kennedy had allegedly become more personal, though Nuzzi did not mention this in her article.
Magazine's Response to the Scandal
New York magazine has placed Nuzzi on leave and launched a third-party review of her work. In a note to readers, the magazine explained that her relationship with Kennedy violated their conflict-of-interest policies. "Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign," the publication stated while noting that a review of her published work found "no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias."
The magazine expressed regret for violating readers' trust and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding journalistic standards.
The Engagement with Ryan Lizza and Fallout
At the time of her inappropriate messages with Kennedy, Nuzzi was engaged to Ryan Lizza, a political journalist and Playbook co-author at Politico. Lizza, who has covered every presidential election since 2000 and reported extensively on the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, became engaged to Nuzzi in 2022. However, the couple reportedly called off their marriage just weeks before the news of her communications with RFK Jr. became public.
RFK Jr.'s Marital History and Infidelity
While the scandal has focused primarily on Nuzzi, Kennedy has also faced scrutiny. Married to Cheryl Hines since 2014, RFK Jr. was previously accused of extramarital affairs during his second marriage to Mary Richardson, which ended in 2010. Kennedy himself has openly acknowledged his past infidelities, confessing in diary entries that his "lust demons" were his "greatest defect" and contributed to the breakdown of his marriage.
