By Blessing Nweke
Vanity Fair announced Friday that it is parting ways with journalist Olivia Nuzzi, whose relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has drawn sustained public attention and controversy. In a joint statement, the magazine and Nuzzi said they had “mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year.”
Nuzzi, 32, joined Vanity Fair earlier this year as its West Coast editor. Just last month, the magazine published an excerpt from her memoir, American Canto, which was officially released Tuesday. The book includes personal reflections and details about her relationship with an unnamed politician, widely believed to reference the revelations that fueled months of speculation about her ties to Kennedy.
Her move to Vanity Fair followed her exit from New York Magazine in 2023, shortly after she acknowledged having a “personal relationship” with Kennedy while she was covering his presidential campaign. At the time, New York Magazine conducted a review of her reporting and said it found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias” connected to the relationship.
The release of Nuzzi’s memoir has renewed scrutiny of her professional conduct. In the days leading up to publication, her former fiancé, political journalist Ryan Lizza, publicly raised allegations questioning her ethical judgment — accusations that have intensified debate within media circles about boundaries between journalists and the political figures they cover.
Kennedy’s camp has repeatedly denied any improper relationship. A spokesperson said last year that Kennedy “only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece,” dismissing claims of personal involvement.
With her contract expiring and her memoir now public, Nuzzi’s next steps in journalism remain unclear as the fallout from her high-profile personal and professional entanglements continues.
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