New Details Reveal Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Scandal in Memoir 'American Canto'

The scandal involving Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. first came to public attention in September 2024.

New York Magazine placed Nuzzi on leave after she admitted to having a "personal relationship" with Kennedy, who was then the subject of significant reporting.

This relationship, which Nuzzi described as never physical but should have been disclosed, was deemed a serious violation of the magazine's standards regarding conflicts of interest.

Nuzzi expressed deep regret for not disclosing it sooner, while CNN sources described the relationship as "digital.

"After being placed on leave, Nuzzi and New York Magazine finally parted ways in October 2024.

Amidst the scandal, her fiancé, Ryan Lizza, chief Washington correspondent for Politico, ended their relationship with Nuzzi following the revelations.

In October 2024, Nuzzi filed for a protective order against Lizza, accusing her of threatening to publish private information and hacking his devices.

However, the protective order was later withdrawn in November 2024, further complicating Nuzzi's personal drama.

In November 2025, further details regarding Olivia Nuzzi's relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emerged through reports about her upcoming memoir, 'American Canto.'

Although Kennedy is not explicitly mentioned, it is clear that he is the main subject of the book.

In her book, Nuzzi claims that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. professed his love for her and even wanted her to have his child.

Nuzzi wrote that Kennedy was the first to say "I love you," and that she reciprocated, with Kennedy nicknamed her "Livvy" and writing her a poem.

Furthermore, Nuzzi also claimed that Kennedy used psychedelics, including dimethyltryptamine (DMT), even though Kennedy claimed to have been "sober" for decades.

Nuzzi himself admitted to "liking stimulants" and taking Adderall, and offered Kennedy advice on how to manage campaign issues.

Nuzzi reportedly writes that she and Kennedy chose their favorite parts of each other — hers was his nose, while his was her mouth — and they shared a "common language, common skepticisms, common ideas about what was beautiful, common beliefs about what was valuable," according to the Times.

Nuzzi stated that he and Kennedy were no longer in contact, and that it had been a year since they last spoke.

Meanwhile, RFK Jr.'s wife, Cheryl Hines, in her memoir "Unscripted," released in November 2025, recounted how learning of Kennedy's alleged digital infidelity left her feeling "very distant" and "insignificant" to her husband.

Olivia Nuzzi is an American journalist and author widely known for her in-depth and incisive political coverage.

Born on January 6, 1993, in New York City and raised in Middletown Township, New Jersey, Nuzzi showed an early interest in journalism.

She began her writing career in 2011 as a monthly political columnist for triCityNews.

In 2013, while still a student at Fordham University, Nuzzi interned for Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign, an experience she later wrote about.

Her career took off after joining The Daily Beast in May 2014, where she covered the presidential campaigns of Rand Paul and Chris Christie, as well as the rise of Donald Trump.

In 2017, Nuzzi joined New York Magazine as its first Washington correspondent, covering the White House and the presidential campaign.

Thanks to her dedication, Nuzzi was recognized as one of Politico's '16 Breakthrough Media Stars' in 2016 and on Forbes' '30 Under 30' list in 2018.

In September 2025, she was announced as the West Coast Editor for Vanity Fair, marking a new chapter in her professional career.