Everything We Know About Olivia Nuzzi, The Writer Behind The RFK Jr. Affair Rumors

Former political journalist and the woman behind the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. affair rumors, Olivia Nuzzi, is back in the headlines following the announcement of her new book, "American Canto," set to drop on December 2, 2025. As evidenced in an excerpt from the book, exclusively obtained by Vanity Fair (where Nuzzi now works as West Coast editor), it reads much like a tell-all about the alleged digital relationship between herself and the married politician, brain worm and all — sans any actual name-dropping.

Nuzzi first became the subject of intense scrutiny in September 2024, during the height of the United States presidential election, after it was revealed that she had been personally involved with the former presidential hopeful turned Donald Trump supporter and eventual United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, at the same time her former employer, New York magazine, had entrusted her to report on said presidential race. According to a statement issued by the magazine on September 19, 2024, upon conducting an investigation of Nuzzi's coverage, they "found no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias." They placed her on leave, anyway. "Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign," the statement read. "We regret this violation of our readers' trust." 

In October 2024, she was permanently stripped of her position. "Nuzzi is a uniquely talented writer, and we have been proud to publish her work over her nearly eight years as our Washington Correspondent. We wish her the best," New York magazine said in a statement to its readers. So, who exactly is the woman who was so publicly ousted from her job after being entangled in a scandal that brutally rocked RFK Jr.'s reputation? Here's everything we know about Nuzzi. 

Olivia Nuzzi grew up in Middletown, New Jersey – worlds away from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his privileged and historical upbringing as a member of the Kennedy family dynasty. In an excerpt from her upcoming book, "American Canto," (via Vanity Fair) Nuzzi confessed that she "had been raised by alcoholics." As reported by the New York Times, her father worked for the Department of Sanitation. Her mother, whom Nuzzi referred to as having a "borderline personality gaze" and a strong affinity for booze, was a former catalog model. 

According to Nuzzi, however, even being reared by two alcoholics did not prepare her for the herculean and fraught-filled task of falling in and out of love with a certain unnamed politician who was also an alleged former addict and perhaps even a sex addict by Nuzzi's own intimation. "I knew alcoholics ... I did not know other types of addicts in the same way," she wrote in the confines of her upcoming book, "American Canto." She added, "The Politician had told me, talking about someone else, that all addicts were pathological liars. He was rarely as judgmental as he was about other addicts. I did not think to apply his assessment to him or to our relationship. I did not think to apply it even when he referred to me as an intoxicant."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Long before she became known as the woman at the center of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s extramarital affair scandal, she was a whipsmart political journalist, quickly ascending the ladder of success. As a teen, she got her feet wet writing for TriCity News and More Monmouth Musings. At 20, she served a brief stint as an intern for Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign before making the jump to The Daily Beast in 2014. It was there that she really honed her craft. "I always knew I wanted to write," she told The Two River Times while covering the 2016 presidential campaign trail for The Daily Beast. "And I always thought I would write about politics. But I didn't know in what capacity." 

In the end, her coverage during the 2016 presidential election proved to be so well done that she was named one of the "16 Breakout Media Stars" by Politico, nabbed a spot on Forbes' 2018 "30 Under 30" list and, in February 2017, landed the gig of all gigs: an all-new role at New York Magazine as their Washington correspondent. She was only 24 years old at the time. "Olivia is a dogged reporter and stylish writer who distinguished herself covering the Trump campaign," New York's editor-in-chief, Adam Moss, said in a statement at the time about his new hire. "For obvious reasons, we have come to feel it's important to have a reporter on the ground in D.C.; Olivia will bolster our coverage in significant ways." 

Some are quick to dismiss all of Olivia Nuzzi's professional accomplishments, citing that she used other means to advance her career. Case in point: her former fiancé Ryan Lizza. Yep, that's right. Nuzzi was engaged to then-Politico reporter Lizza when the alleged digital affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began. As such, Lizza has never been one to shy away from his own feelings about the sordid situation. According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Lizza claimed "She admitted the affair and over the course of weeks of conversations she confided how she fell into what she described as a 'toxic,' 'unhealthy,' 'stupid,' 'psychotic,' 'crazy,' 'indefensible,' relationship with a 70-year-old 'sex addict' who told her he wanted to 'possess,' 'control,' and 'impregnate' her."

According to Lizza, Nuzzi's infatuation with older, influential men was a behavioral pattern. In a November 17 post on his Telos News Substack account, Lizza claims that in the years preceding their own relationship, she was entangled in a "strings attached" type of arrangement with former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, who in exchange for her affection, payed for her college tuition, gifted her designer dresses and Cartier jewelry, paid her rent, furnished her apartment, and, ultimately, helped further her career. 

Nuzzi's ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza also claimed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wasn't her first forbidden dalliance with a politician many years her senior. In the confines of his bombshell Substack post on November 17, Lizza alleged that he found out in March 2020 that Nuzzi had been cheating on him with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford — who also just so happened to have presidential aspirations before ultimately dropping out of the Republican race in November 2019. Lizza said that at first, he wasn't alarmed by Nuzzi's frequent trips to South Carolina, as the couple had signed a contract to publish a book about the 2020 presidential campaign. Alas, just like Nuzzi's career as a whole in the wake of the RFK Jr. scandal, that all came crashing down, too. "I was sure our relationship was over. And certainly our book project was dead. She had crossed a journalistic red line. How could we write a book about the presidential campaign if Olivia had a sexual relationship with one of the candidates?" he penned.

As you may recall, prior to the Nuzzi affair allegations, Sanford had already earned a spot on the dreaded list of politicians who were caught cheating. In June 2009, after going MIA for six whole days, the governor came forward and copped to cheating on his wife of almost 20 years, Jenny Sanford. Cue the crocodile tears. "The bottom line is this: I've been unfaithful to my wife, I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina," he said during a press conference. He continued, "What I did was wrong. Period. End of story." Jenny officially filed for divorce in December 2009.