RFK Jr. responds to allegations about affair with Olivia Nuzzi

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has denied allegations that he had a romantic relationship with New York MagazineWashington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi.

“Mr. Kennedy met Olivia Nuzzi only once in his life for an interview she requested, which resulted in a defamatory article,” a spokesman for the presidential candidate told the media newsletter. statuswhich first reported on the alleged relationship, and other media.

Kennedy, 70, partially suspended his independent bid for the White House in August and has since supported Republican candidate Donald Trump. Trump's campaign team has appointed Kennedy to its transition team. Kennedy has been married to actress Cheryl Hines since 2014.

Nuzzi, 31, said in a statement to The New York Times that earlier this year, “some conversations between me and a person who was previously the subject of news coverage became personal.”

“During that time, I did not directly report on the issue, nor did I use her as a source,” she said. “The relationship was never physical, but it should have been disclosed to avoid the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I have disappointed, especially my colleagues at new York.”

A spokesman for Kennedy was emailed for further comment. Nuzzi was emailed for comment.

Nuzzi did not mention Kennedy by name in her statement, but journalist Oliver Darcy reported in status that it was a relationship with Kennedy, citing a person close to Nuzzi. statusit only started after the profile she wrote about him was published in November last year.

New York Magazine said Nuzzi, who has worked for the publication since 2017, has been placed on leave.

In a statement published online Thursday evening, the magazine said Nuzzi admitted to the magazine's editors “that during her coverage of the 2024 election campaign, she had a personal relationship with a former individual relevant to the 2024 election campaign.”

The magazine said the relationship was “a violation of the magazine's standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosures.”

An internal review of Nuzzi's work found “no inaccuracies or evidence of bias,” the magazine added. “She is currently on leave from the journal and the journal is conducting a more thorough third-party review.”

Nuzzi, known for her in-depth political reporting, has not published anything about Kennedy since November.

Her most recent piece is an interview with Trump published in early September. That piece and a piece on President Joe Biden in July have been updated with a note to readers that includes the magazine's statement on Nuzzi.

In March, Nuzzi described the 2024 elections as a “three-man race” to The New York Times contributing opinion writer Frank Bruni.

She said Americans were lucky to be able to “choose from a number of third-party candidates,” including Kennedy, who was “competitive” in the polls.

She added: “The establishment press is hesitant to cover Kennedy as a serious candidate for fear of being criticized for 'giving a platform to an anti-vaxxer.' But the establishment press has no right to decide who voters take seriously.”