Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza have taken their next steps in their lawsuit over her “digital affair” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
New York Magazine parted ways with Nuzzi after she admitted to her bosses that she had an “emotional and digital” affair with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
Nuzzi has hired high-powered, $800-an-hour attorney Ari Wilkenfeld, who previously represented one of Matt Lauer’s accusers and a whistleblower on behalf of unprotected health care workers during the coronavirus.
Wilkenfeld, who replaces Nuzzi’s previous reps at Jezic & Moysz, will be busy after lawyers for Lizza, a co-author of Politico’s Playbook newsletter, filed papers to block Nuzzi from completing their legal battle.
His lawyers say Nuzzi is unfairly trying to “silence Mr. Lizza from telling his side of the story.”
Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza have taken their next steps in their lawsuit over her “digital affair” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
New York Magazine parted ways with Nuzzi after she admitted to her bosses that she had an “emotional and digital” affair with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines
Lizza is reportedly taking a ‘leave of absence’ after a court bombshell alleges he blackmailed her over the rumored affair.
Nuzzi alleged in D.C. Supreme Court that Lizza “explicitly threatened to disclose personal information about me to destroy my life, career and reputation – a threat he has since carried out.”
Now Lizza wants to keep their legal battle public after Nuzzi filed a civil protection order, which Lizza was not aware of until the press reported it.
‘[He] wants his facts made public, has nothing to hide and respectfully requests that this court deny Ms. Nuzzi’s request to seal,” his attorneys wrote.
“You would think that Ms. Nuzzi, as an experienced journalist, would share this Court and Mr. Lizza’s commitment to the press’s access rights to information,” they added.
Lizza’s representatives say Nuzzi is being dishonest by trying to seal the case before Lizza can publicly respond to her public accusations against him.
‘[She] cannot provide and discuss her petition and its allegations with news organizations and then attempt to seal the record she created to silence Mr. Lizza in this lawsuit.”
Lizza is represented by Bob Barnett and Simon Latcovich, who work at a firm that represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial.
Nuzzi has hired high-powered $800-an-hour attorney Ari Wilkenfeld, who previously represented one of Matt Lauer’s accusers and a whistleblower on behalf of unprotected healthcare workers during the coronavirus
Lizza wants to keep their legal battle public after Nuzzi filed a civil protection order, which Lizza was not aware of until the press reported it
On November 19, the two finally meet in court.
Kennedy has insisted he met the political journalist only once when she profiled him last year.
‘Sir. Kennedy met Olivia Nuzzi only once in his life for an interview she requested, which resulted in a hit,” his spokesperson told CNN. A source added that the nature of the relationship was “emotional and digital in nature, not physical.”
But insiders told the New York Post that the couple engaged in “sexting,” despite RFK Jr. was married and Nuzzi was engaged at the time to Politico’s chief Washington correspondent, Ryan Lizza, 50.
Nuzzi said that in early 2024, the nature of some communications between herself and a former reporter became personal.
“Earlier this year, the nature of some communications between me and a former journalist became personal,” Nuzzi said.
“During that time, I did not report directly on the subject or use them as a source,” she said.
‘The relationship was never physical, but should have been made public to avoid the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing this immediately and apologize to those I have disappointed, especially my colleagues in New York.”
Nuzzi was suspended after admitting to her bosses that she had an “emotional and digital” affair with Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines. Kennedy and Hines will be seen in January 2024
Olivia Nuzzi and New York magazine have since parted ways after she was initially suspended over her affair with Robert Kennedy Jr
New York magazine acknowledged an inappropriate relationship in a statement about Nuzzi’s hiatus, deeming it “a violation of the magazine’s conflict of interest and disclosure standards.”
“Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, it would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign,” the statement said.
Nuzzi alleged in D.C. Supreme Court that Lizza “explicitly threatened to disclose personal information about me to destroy my life, career and reputation – a threat he has since carried out.”
Lizza has said that he never hacked into any of Nuzzi’s devices, but was told about the relationship and its nature by her.
In her profile, Nuzzi described meeting the former presidential candidate at the $7 million California home he shares with his wife.
She painted a picture of RFK Jr. as an anti-establishment candidate, who ‘turned the presidential election upside down’.
“Fear – and denial – is what Kennedy seems to inspire in the staid Washington Establishment that supports the sitting president, and in the anti-Establishment establishment that supports the former president,” she wrote.
She addressed the conflict in RFK Jr.’s marriage. for his appearance on Steve Bannon’s show and that of other right-wing personalities.
“Bannon was just the beginning. Poor Cheryl,” Nuzzi wrote.
At the time the piece was published, RFK Jr. entered the election race as an independent candidate, but has since dropped out and supported Trump.
Nuzzi’s last article, in which she described examining Trump’s ear after Butler’s assassination attempt, was published by the magazine on September 9.