Olivia Nuzzi became visibly emotional and paused a recent interview while being questioned about her alleged romance with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The journalist was a guest on "The Bulwark" podcast when host Tim Miller pressed her on the subject.
Miller directly asked how Nuzzi’s memoir, American Canto, addressed her "tumultuous romance" with Kennedy, 71. He cited her admission of helping him during his campaign and not acting when she felt betrayed.
Miller challenged Nuzzi: "He was criticizing you. They’re nominating him for HHS secretary. You had information you could have shared, and you didn’t share anything about him. Why? Did you still love him?"
Nuzzi, 32, admitted she did not "know how to handle this responsibly on camera." She explained her memoir captures her private feelings and personal reaction.
When asked if she now saw the situation clearly, Nuzzi concurred with Miller’s assessment. "I agree with you. That is the correct assessment. I don’t know what to do with the question you’re asking me. Because it implies a lot of assumptions. I write about what I did wrong."
As Miller continued, claiming Nuzzi stopped "becoming a journalistic actor," she became visibly distressed. She began to cry, stating, "I lost my job. I was fired and I hid. I was scared, I was terrified. I was terrified by a man I couldn’t marry. Can we pause this?"
Reports alleging a sexting affair between Kennedy and Nuzzi, a former political reporter for New York Magazine, originally surfaced in September 2024. The alleged relationship occurred during presidential elections.
New York Magazine issued a public apology at the time. The publication stated Nuzzi had not disclosed a "personal relationship" with an unnamed subject she profiled.
Nuzzi released a statement to The New York Times, clarifying the relationship "was never physical." She added, "it should have been disclosed to avoid the appearance of conflict. I deeply regret not having done so immediately and apologize to those I have disappointed, especially to my colleagues at New York."
A spokesperson for Kennedy denied Nuzzi’s account. The spokesperson stated, "Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which resulted in a critical article."
While Kennedy has largely avoided commenting on the scandal, his wife, Cheryl Hines, recently addressed the rumors. Hines discussed how she handles speculation surrounding her marriage on an October episode of "The Katie Miller" podcast.
"I think you always have to consider the source, right?" Hines shared. "That’s how I start. And then it ends with a conversation with Bobby."
She described Kennedy’s presidential campaign as an "exhausting year and a half of headlines, rumors, articles, and chaos." Hines viewed the Nuzzi reports as "more chaos and more rumors."
Regarding Nuzzi’s memoir, Hines stated, "I don’t know this person. I don’t know her intentions. I could guess, but I’m not going to. But you can, if you want to."