Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Denies Having an Affair With Reporter Olivia Nuzzi, Insists He 'Only Met Her Once in His Life'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vehemently denied having any sort of extramarital relationship with reporter Olivia Nuzzi after being interviewed by her last year.
The 2024 presidential candidate — who partially suspended his campaign in support of Republican candidate Donald Trump — was accused of having an affair with Nuzzi, New York Magazine's Washington correspondent after the news publication released a statement revealing the journalist was placed on leave due to her alleged "violation of the magazine's standards."
"Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece," a spokesperson for Kennedy Jr. — who has been married to actress Cheryl Hines since 2014 — insisted in a Thursday, September 19, statement obtained by media newsletter Status, the outlet that had spoken to a source to confirm the 70-year-old was the "subject" involved in the alleged affair with Nuzzi.
Despite denying any sort of romantic relationship with the 31-year-old reporter, Nuzzi continued doubling down on her claims, as she informed The New York Times on Thursday that "some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal" earlier this year.
"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 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."
New York Magazine put Nuzzi on leave after she admitted to editors at the publication that she had engaged in a romantic texting relationship "with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign."
- Cheryl Hines Spotted Wearing Band on Ring Finger After Husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Sexting Scandal
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Private Diary Reveals Struggles With 'Powerful Demons' and 'Wild Impulses' Amid Sexting Scandal
- Robert F. Kennedy's Inner Circle Hopes Olivia Nuzzi Affair Drama Gets Rid of His Trump-Hating Wife Cheryl Hines
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According to The New York Times, David Haskell, the editor of New York Magazine informed staff in a note on Friday, September 20, that higher-ups at the company were made aware by Nuzzi of the alleged affair — which she said started in December 2023 and ended in August — a few days ago.
Nuzzi began working for New York Magazine in 2017 and quickly became known for her exquisite political feature reporting. She briefly appeared for a cameo in an episode of the television show Billions and recently released a docuseries titled Working Capital with Bloomberg.
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The renowned reporter's profile on Kennedy Jr. was published in November 2023 and focused on his campaign's ability to "turn the presidential race upside down."
Back in March, Nuzzi was interviewed by The New York Times contributing opinion writer Frank Bruni, insisting the 2024 election was still "a three-man race," while claiming "the establishment press has been reluctant to cover Kennedy like a serious contender because they fear they will face criticism for 'platforming an anti-vaxxer.'"