Nuzzi Breaks Down Over RFK Jr. Interview Questions
Olivia Nuzzi interrupted a difficult interview, having faced persistent inquiries regarding her supposed romantic involvement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On Tuesday, December 2, while appearing on “The Bulwark” podcast, interviewer Tim Miller specifically inquired about Nuzzi's book, American Canto, and its portrayal of her purported turbulent relationship with Kennedy, aged 71.
“He was disparaging you. He’s up for HHS Secretary. You possessed information you could have disclosed — yet you revealed nothing concerning him,” Miller highlighted. “What was your reason? Did your feelings for him persist?”
Nuzzi, 32 years old, confessed she wasn't sure “how to appropriately address this while being filmed.”
Forthcoming Book Titles Expected in 2025: Including Works by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Others
“In that particular section, I describe my personal emotions regarding my personal response,” she explained concerning the memoir’s depiction of her perspective.
Miller persisted in urging Nuzzi to expand on her assertions regarding Kennedy. “You acknowledge in the book that you supported him throughout his campaign. And therefore, once you understood he was betraying you, you made no move to retaliate. You simply allowed him to exploit you,” he stated. “Do you have a clear understanding [now]?”
As she contemplated that phase of her life, Nuzzi concurred with Miller’s viewpoint, stating, “You are now reading about it. … I concur with you. That is an accurate evaluation. I am unsure how to address your question, as it relies on many presumptions. I detail my missteps.”
Miller then asserted that Nuzzi stopped functioning as “a journalistic professional” during her dealings with Kennedy. Nuzzi seemed visibly distressed by this observation.
“I lost my employment. I was dismissed and went into concealment. I was scared, I was petrified,” she retorted, tears beginning to flow. “I was terrified of a man I couldn’t wed. Can we stop this for a moment?”
News reports initially emerged in September 2024, indicating Kennedy was purportedly involved in a text-based romantic liaison with Nuzzi, a political journalist for New York Magazine throughout the presidential campaign.
New York Magazine issued a public apology then, informing readers that Nuzzi neglected to reveal a “personal connection” with an undisclosed individual she covered during her 2024 election reporting for the publication. Neither the magazine nor Nuzzi explicitly identified Kennedy.
The Family of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Siblings, Spouses, Children, and Further Details
“The connection was never intimate, but ought to have been disclosed to avoid any perceived conflict of interest,” Nuzzi stated in comments made to The New York Times. “I profoundly regret my failure to do so promptly and offer my apologies to those I’ve let down, particularly my colleagues at New York.”
A representative for Kennedy refuted Nuzzi’s account, asserting, “Mr. Kennedy encountered Olivia Nuzzi only once in his life for an interview she sought, which resulted in a critical article.”
Although Kennedy has mostly avoided commenting on the controversy, his spouse, Cheryl Hines, recently spoke out about handling the whispers and conjecture concerning her marriage.
“I believe one must always evaluate the origin, correct?” she conveyed during an October installment of “The Katie Miller” podcast. “That is my initial step. And it concludes with a discussion with Bobby.”
She proceeded: “Bobby had been campaigning for president, and it was a grueling eighteen months filled with news, hearsay, publications, and disorder. And during that period, I reasoned, ‘Alright, this is additional disorder and more hearsay.’ And, well, it was overwhelming.”
Posed with a question about Nuzzi’s memoir, Hines responded, “I am not acquainted with this individual. I am unaware of their motives. I could speculate, but I choose not to. However, you are welcome to if you wish.”
