In a remarkably candid and introspective new interview, prominent political journalist Olivia Nuzzi has directly addressed the scandal involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that dramatically reshaped her career and public image. The controversy, stemming from an alleged intimate text-based relationship during the 2024 presidential campaign cycle, led to her departure from New York Magazine and triggered significant personal upheaval. It now forms the central narrative of her newly released memoir, American Canto.
A Head-On Confrontation with Professional Failure
Speaking with Tim Miller, Nuzzi offered her clearest public reckoning yet, refusing to downplay her actions. She described her conduct in stark, self-critical terms: "I had f---ed up." She emphasized that the professional rules she broke were "very good rules" and that she had knowingly violated them. The core theme of her reflection was a profound sense of shame, which she defended as a necessary and important response, rejecting advice to simply ignore the fallout and continue reporting.
Nuzzi described the situation—which she maintains was intimate but not physical—as the result of a series of "imperceptible errors" in judgment. She explained that as Kennedy's polling numbers declined, her perception of the political stakes became distorted, gradually eroding her sense of professional boundaries. This marks a shift from her earlier defense; she now frames it as a fundamental failure of perspective, not just a breach of protocol.
The Emotional Core and Career Fallout
For the first time, Nuzzi openly addressed the emotional dimension, stating she had "loved" Kennedy. She portrayed her involvement as a painful collision between personal attachment and professional duty, a situation she admits she was unequipped to handle. Her remarks revealed a journalist deeply entangled in her subject's personal crises, sometimes acting as a listener as Kennedy navigated potential reputational issues, though she insists she never intended to be an adviser.
The professional consequences were swift and severe. New York Magazine conducted a review of her work, finding no factual inaccuracies or evidence of bias but concluding that her relationship with a subject she covered was incompatible with its standards. She subsequently left the publication. The scandal also upended her personal life, leading to the end of her engagement to journalist Ryan Lizza and a move to California, where she joined Vanity Fair.
'American Canto': A Memoir of Evasion and Mythology
In contrast to the directness of her interview, Nuzzi's memoir, American Canto, takes an elliptical and literary approach. It is not the expected tell-all but a fragmented meditation on America, politics, and identity. The Kennedy relationship is present but deliberately blurred, with new ambiguous details—like Kennedy's comment that "if it’s just sex, he can survive" the scandal—raising more questions than answers.
The book avoids a clear chronology of events and sidesteps addressing damaging aftershocks, including allegations from her ex-fiancé about a past affair with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Nuzzi's legal team has stated she had only one improper relationship with a source—the one detailed in the book. Vanity Fair has placed her employment under review as it examines these fresh claims.
Instead of clarity, the memoir leans into themes of performance and self-mythology, drawing parallels between politics and acting. It revisits her childhood acting classes and a teenage pop persona, framing her scandal as a story of navigating a distorted, unreal American political landscape.
The two platforms present starkly different versions of Olivia Nuzzi: the interview offers a blunt, remorseful, and analytical voice, while the memoir provides a lyrical, symbolic, and often opaque interpretation. Together, they confirm that the RFK Jr. chapter is the defining hinge of her career, forcing a confrontation with her own ambition and vulnerabilities. Whether this dual reckoning is enough to rebuild public trust remains an open question.
