Prominent journalist Olivia Nuzzi makes serious accusations against ex-fiancé

The well-known political author Olivia Nuzzi, who writes for New York Magazine and was placed on indefinite leave following the disclosure of her personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has accused her ex-fiancé and Politico reporter Ryan Lizza of harassment and blackmail. This information comes from recent court documents. In a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Nuzzi claims that Lizza hacked her devices and stole another device to monitor her and gather materials intended to coerce her back into a relationship with him. She accuses him of providing "damaging information" to her employer and distributing manipulated materials to the media. Furthermore, Lizza allegedly threatened her with violence to force her to take on his financial responsibility in a joint book contract. "He explicitly threatened to publicly release personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation – a threat he has already partially carried out," Nuzzi stated in the complaint. On Tuesday, the court issued a temporary protective order against Lizza, prohibiting any contact with Nuzzi and ordering him to "immediately cease using any illegally obtained information." Lizza strongly denies the allegations and expressed disappointment over his ex-fiancée’s claims. "I am saddened that my ex-fiancée resorts to false accusations to distract from her own personal and professional shortcomings," he emphasized. "I will vigorously and successfully defend myself against these accusations." Nuzzi told the New York Times that she has filed similar allegations with the FBI, which has not yet commented. The relationship between Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became known in September after a discussion between Nuzzi and New York Magazine editor David Haskell. Nuzzi explained that the relationship was "personal" but not physical. Kennedy, who ended his independent presidential candidacy in August and has since supported Donald J. Trump, stated that he had only met Nuzzi once for an interview. Subsequently, New York Magazine placed Nuzzi on leave and emphasized in a statement that an initial review of her reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign "revealed no inaccuracies or signs of bias." A third-party review was announced.