New York magazine has announced that its Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, is on leave after revealing a personal relationship with a former reporting subject, which violates the publication’s ethical standards.
The story was first reported by the newsletter Status and later picked up by The New York Times, both citing unnamed sources identifying Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the individual involved with Nuzzi. However, neither New York magazine nor Nuzzi has confirmed Kennedy’s identity. Kennedy has stated that he only met Nuzzi once.
This revelation is particularly significant for Nuzzi, who recently authored a cover story featuring an interview with Donald Trump, titled “Peering into Donald Trump’s Ear, and Soul.” In a note to readers, New York magazine expressed that had it been aware of the relationship, Nuzzi would not have been assigned to cover the presidential campaign.
An internal review of Nuzzi’s work found no inaccuracies or bias, but she has been placed on leave while a more comprehensive third-party investigation is conducted. “We regret this violation of our readers’ trust,” the magazine stated, and a spokeswoman declined to provide further comments. A spokesperson for Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines, did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press.
In a statement to Status, Nuzzi explained that the nature of her communication with the former reporting subject became personal in early 2024. “During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source,” she said. She added that while the relationship was never physical, it should have been disclosed to avoid the appearance of a conflict, expressing regret for not doing so promptly.
Details about when Nuzzi’s superiors at the magazine became aware of the relationship remain unclear. Nuzzi previously wrote about Kennedy’s campaign in a November piece titled “The Mind-Bending Politics of RFK Jr.’s Spoiler Campaign,” describing an interview that included a car ride and hike with Kennedy and his dogs.
Kennedy’s involvement was also mentioned in a March 2024 discussion in The New York Times, where Nuzzi, alongside colleagues Frank Bruni and Joe Klein, highlighted Kennedy’s competitive polling. In response to the current situation, a representative for Kennedy remarked, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in her life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.”
As the situation develops, New York magazine is facing scrutiny over its adherence to ethical journalism standards.