In a stunning revelation that has rocked political and media circles, journalist Olivia Nuzzi has come forward with detailed claims about her alleged romantic relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 32-year-old correspondent breaks her silence in a new memoir that describes a "digital affair" with the now 71-year-old Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Beginning of the Controversial Romance
The relationship between Nuzzi and Kennedy reportedly began during the 2024 presidential campaign when Kennedy was running as an independent candidate. According to Nuzzi's upcoming book American Canto, their connection quickly deepened beyond professional boundaries.
Nuzzi claims that Kennedy was the first to express romantic feelings, telling her "I love you" on multiple occasions. While she initially hesitated to reciprocate, the journalist admits she eventually returned the sentiment. "I love him, I thought. Oh no. I love him so much," she writes in her memoir, as reported by The New York Times.
Intimate Details and Personal Revelations
The book reveals surprisingly personal moments between the two, including Nuzzi witnessing Kennedy flossing his teeth and noting his "dopp kit overflowing with prescriptions." Kennedy allegedly nicknamed the journalist "Livvy" and wrote poems for her during their relationship.
Perhaps most shockingly, Nuzzi claims that Kennedy expressed desire to father her child, despite being married to actor Cheryl Hines at the time. The relationship also included discussions about substance use, with Kennedy reportedly telling Nuzzi about his interest in psychedelics and smoking dimethyltryptamine (DMT), while Nuzzi disclosed her use of Adderall and preference for "uppers."
Career Consequences and Public Fallout
The affair had significant professional repercussions for Nuzzi. The scandal led to her departure from New York magazine and the end of her engagement with journalist Ryan Lizza. News of the relationship became public in September 2024, shortly after Kennedy joined forces with Donald Trump following his own failed presidential bid.
Nuzzi spent a year in self-imposed exile before returning to public life. She wrote American Canto during this period away from the spotlight and has since become a correspondent for Vanity Fair. The journalist told The New York Times she hasn't spoken to Kennedy in approximately a year.
Kennedy has publicly denied the relationship, insisting he only met Nuzzi once for what he described as a "hit piece" interview for New York magazine. However, Nuzzi's memoir presents a different narrative, though she notably doesn't explicitly name Kennedy throughout the book, instead making references that readers can easily connect to the political figure.
In her writing, Nuzzi reflects on the nature of politicians, stating: "A politician's greatest trick is to convince you that he is not one. And what is a politician? Any man who wants to be loved more than other men and through his pursuit reveals why he cannot love himself."
The Times noted that Nuzzi's memoir allows her to "construct a world where everyone is a sketch and proof is beside the point." Nuzzi acknowledges that some readers may doubt her account, telling the newspaper she's not out to prove anything but simply to tell her story.
