Former MSNBC star Keith Olbermann has broken his silence about his affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi, revealing they even lived together when she was 21 and he was 55.
Olbermann admitted in his statement that they were in a relationship. Countdown podcast on Tuesday, saying he knew the story would come out after Nuzzi, 31,’s affair with Robert Kennedy Jr., 70, came to light.
“Eventually this story will inevitably come to me, because long ago she and I lived together,” Olbermann said.
“We had dogs and tattoos and rings. And like all relationships, it was fun at first, then stuff happened, then we worked on it, and it was over.”
Olbermann claims that the relationship lasted for about three years and that it eventually ended mutually.
Former MSNBC star Keith Olbermann has broken his silence about his affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi, revealing that they even lived together when she was 21 and he was 55.
Nuzzi is on leave from New York Magazine after her affair with Robert Kennedy Jr. came to light
He said he spoke up because The New York Post had contacted him after Nuzzi was suspended for her date with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
“I’m not the Nuzzi Nudes Network that gives away free stories,” Olbermann said.
‘Almost the entire relationship was surprisingly mundane.’
Olbermann admitted that Nuzzi “did some strange things in the three years that this went on,” but that he also “did some strange things” himself.
He also claimed that “her parents were not the best role models” and that “at times she completely overlooked the consequences of her actions.”
However, Olbermann added that despite RFK Jr.’s claims, “there is nothing to indicate that Olivia would continue to send a man nude photos if he did not want them.”
Olbermann says he hasn’t spoken to his ex since the breakup and can’t defend her journalistic choices.
But Olbermann recalls a heartwarming moment, saying Nuzzi took care of him the day he got his “beloved” dog Stevie, “and she and I have dedicated our lives to Stevie,” he added.
‘Olivia has taught me most of all how to be successfully adopted by a dog and by all dogs. And her birthday is next Monday.’
He concluded his story by saying that he owes all the work he has done with animals and dogs to her and that she can always count on his support when she needs it. He joked: ‘I don’t want to go too far here, but I’m starting to suspect that she likes old men.’
The affair with Olbermann is said to have occurred while Nuzzi was interning for now-disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner.
Nuzzi first gained notoriety when she wrote about her time in Weiner’s office, where he was dealing with sex scandals that ended his political career.
Olbermann added that despite RFK Jr.’s claims, “there is nothing to indicate that Olivia would continue to send a man nude photos unless he wanted them.”
It comes as Kennedy is reportedly considering suing Nuzzi over the pornographic content she sent him
The never-married Olbermann — who previously dated Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and MSNBC star Katy Tur — criticized both Nuzzi and RFK Jr. on social media when the affair broke.
He claimed that Kennedy’s efforts to investigate Nuzzi were reprehensible, although he made no secret of the fact that he believed what she did was wrong.
‘This psychopath and serial killer @RobertKennedyJr is talking about ARRESTING @Olivianuzzi? I don’t condone her behavior but the dynamics here just changed.’
Olbermann continued: ‘F*** him. He’s a complete irresponsible piece of shit. You engage in these sexts and they become a problem, you call her boss. Faster than 10 months later.’
This comes as Kennedy is reportedly considering suing Nuzzi over the pornographic content she sent him.
Jessica Read Kraus, author of the popular House Inhabit Substack, wrote on Saturday that Kennedy is exploring his legal options after Nuzzi allegedly “bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos.”
According to Kraus, Nuzzi made a “flirtatious comment during a phone call,” which led to the independent candidate blocking the prominent journalist.
Nuzzi, in turn, contacted Kennedy via email asking him to unblock her number, “but later that night she sent him a provocative photo, causing him to block her again,” according to Kraus’ account.
Olbermann admitted that Nuzzi “did some strange things during the three years that this went on,” but that he also “did some strange things”
Security expert Gavin de Becker is investigating the situation to see if Kennedy can file a civil lawsuit against Nuzzi, Kraus reported.
The Daily Beast reported Sunday that the sexting scandal came to light after Kennedy bragged to friends that he had intimate photos of Nuzzi, and New York editor David Haskell learned about it.
Sources close to Nuzzi did not deny the tension between the two, but told the New York Post she was not pursuing him.
“It is absolutely not true that she was the aggressor, but both parties were aware of how stressful and risky the circumstances were and for that reason their communication was very erratic,” the source said.
Nuzzi’s editor in chief David Haskell then confronted Nuzzi about the affair at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the magazine’s Manhattan offices, people with knowledge told The Daily Beast.