RFK Jr. and Journalist Olivia Nuzzi Reportedly Developed ‘Personal Relationship’

New York magazine said it has put one of its reporters on leave after she “engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign,” who CNN has alleged to have been Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A spokesperson for the publication released a statement on Thursday, Sept. 19, saying that its Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi recently “acknowledged to the magazine’s editors” that she engaged in the relationship “while she was reporting on the campaign,” which was “a violation of the magazine’s standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures.”

“Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign,” the spokesperson added.

Nuzzi, 31, shared in a statement to PEOPLE that “the nature of some communication” between herself and “a former reporting subject turned personal,” though she added that she “did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source” during that time. 

“The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict,” she said. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”

Neither the magazine nor Nuzzi identified the subject whom she had a relationship with. However, a source with knowledge on the incident told CNN that Nuzzi was linked to Kennedy, 70, who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in August before endorsing former President Donald Trump. 

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PEOPLE reached out to Kennedy, who did not respond to a text and call seeking comment. PEOPLE has also reached out to Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, for comment.

A representative for the politician told the Washington Post in a statement that Kennedy only met the New York reporter once for an article, which the outlet noted was her November 2023 story, “The Mind-Bending Politics of RFK Jr.’s Spoiler Campaign.”

“Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece,” the representative said, per the Washington Post.

Nuzzi has since published several stories on the 2024 campaign trail and presidential race, according to CNN. She has also referenced Kennedy in recent coverage, including a June article that said Kennedy should have been allowed to debate Trump and President Joe Biden and another opinion piece in March criticizing the media for their coverage of Kennedy, per the Washington Post. 

The reporter has also made a cameo appearance as herself in a 2022 episode of Billions and is the host of the Bloomberg original series Working Capital with Olivia Nuzzi.

New York magazine said Nuzzi has been placed “on leave,” though “an internal review of her published work” found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias.” The publication added that it “is conducting a more thorough third-party review.”

The magazine further apologized to its audience, saying, “We regret this violation of our readers’ trust.”