Olivia Nuzzi Accuses Ex-Fiancé of Orchestrating Blackmail Campaign Amid RFK Relationship
Olivia Nuzzi, a writer for New York magazine, has publicly accused her former fiancé, Ryan Lizza, a well-known political reporter at Politico, of engineering a harassment and extortion scheme against her following their breakup. This situation arose while Nuzzi was in a personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former independent presidential candidate. These claims, which Nuzzi presented in a court document this week in Washington, D.C.’s Superior Court and which Lizza has denied, add another dramatic layer to the repercussions of her previously undisclosed relationship with Kennedy, prompting discussions about journalistic ethics within the national political media.
Nuzzi alleges that Lizza explicitly threatened to reveal intimate details about her to ruin her life and has since executed this threat. The alleged harassment began in early July as a method to coerce her back into their relationship and to retaliate when she refused. She also claims that Lizza hacked into her personal electronic devices and anonymously peddled information about her to the press, some of which may have been manipulated to further damage her reputation.
In her court submission, Nuzzi stated that Lizza potentially alerted her employer about the situation through a third party or anonymous channel. A judge has approved Nuzzi’s petition to temporarily prohibit Lizza from contacting her and to ensure he stays away from her and her workplace. The couple had cohabited within the past year, as noted in the court filing.
The fallout from their breakup has already affected Nuzzi and Lizza’s associations with their respective media organizations. New York magazine placed Nuzzi on leave after she acknowledged engaging in a personal relationship with a past subject pertinent to the 2024 campaign during her reporting, which violated the magazine’s standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosures.
Lizza has denied the allegations, stating that he is disheartened by Nuzzi’s false accusations and will vigorously defend himself against them. The situation continues to unfold with significant implications for both individuals and the broader journalistic community.
