The View hosts divided fans on Monday when they debated the “conflict of interest” surrounding the alleged affair between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and New York Magazine journalist Olivia Nuzzi.
Washington correspondent Nuzzi, 31, recently admitted in a statement to DailyMail.com that “the nature of a particular communication between me and a former reporter became personal” and was recently suspended.
Alyssa Farah Griffin fiercely defended her “friend” Nuzzi, saying that while she disagrees with what the reporter did, she believes she “will own up to it and take responsibility.”
Griffin’s co-host Ana Navarro called RFK Jr., 70, a “dog and ah,” but claimed Nuzzi’s behavior was “unethical” and insisted the problem was the “conflict of interest” because she was “covering the presidential campaign while writing pieces.”
Both Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin questioned why the negative comments were directed at Nuzzi alone, and not both of them. However, their comments have divided viewers as they shared their thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Alyssa Farah Griffin (right) defended her “friend” Olivia Nuzzi during Monday’s episode of The View
It is reported that Nuzzi allegedly sent ‘demure nude photos of herself to RFK Jr. during their sexting affair’
In a direct conversation with Griffin, 35, one person responded: “Sorry, Alyssa, I have to disagree (shocking right?). RFK is a known fraud. And Olivia Nuzzi was unethical in her campaign reporting.”
Someone else posted: ‘Waking up and seeing Olivia Nuzzi caping AFG doesn’t surprise me one bit, but calling her a “world class journalist” is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think, Lyss?’
A third person argued, “F— RFK and Olivia Nuzzi. They both knew better,” and a fourth added, “The amount of hate towards men at this table is astounding. I don’t think RFK Jr. is a victim, but neither is Nuzzi.”
Someone else was furious: ‘Nuzzi is supposed to be a journalist. That’s why there are higher demands on her. She’s 31! She’s an ADULT. Why are [white circle emoji] women should be allowed to be infantilized until menopause? She wrote criticism of Biden while exhibiting this behavior with RFK, Jr.’
Another user on X argued, “If you send unsolicited thirst trap pics/videos to a married man, you are just as guilty as he is because he accepts them and doesn’t block you. It takes two to tango.”
Goldberg, 68, started the conversation on Monday’s show, saying, “The question really is, why is all this shit happening to her and not him?” Hostin, 55, explained that there were reports that Nuzzi “allegedly sent demure nude photos of herself to RFK Jr. during their sexting affair.”
“I don’t understand why it’s all coming down on her either. She’s 31 years old, she’s a young reporter — as far as I know, she’s a fantastic reporter,” Hostin added.
Griffin was quick to speak, saying, “I actually consider her a friend, she was really there for me in a part of my life when she didn’t need to be. I would also say she’s a world-class journalist, she’s young but she’s considered one of the best profilers.
Ana Navarro called RFK Jr. a ‘dog and ah**’ and claimed Nuzzi had ‘way more to lose’
One person on X claimed that both RFK Jr. and Nuzzi ‘knew better’
Another viewer said he disagreed with what Alyssa Farah Griffin said
Someone else insinuated that there was a lot of “hatred toward men” at The View table on Monday
“That piece she wrote about RFK was devastating. I don’t agree with what she did [and] I think she will acknowledge it and take responsibility.’
The former White House aide continued: “But every time I see a headline that says, ‘Olivia Nuzzi scandal,’ no, ‘RFK scandal.’ A former presidential candidate who is, I would say, married for the third time, who participated in this, who is now a leading proxy for the Republican presidential candidate, but it comes down to the sexism that we’ve fallen into.
“The reality is, people want to make money in this business. If you post a picture of Olivia, more people will click on it than if you post a picture of this man. I think men need to take a little more responsibility in this, it’s so predictable.
“And finally, I don’t believe in cancel culture. I think she’s someone who’s made her mark in this industry. She’s definitely made a mistake, but I think if she’s going to take responsibility, she should absolutely make a comeback.”
Navarro then jumped in and said, ‘Look, I think the reason she’s paying more consequences is because RFK, I think everyone knows this by now, is a dog and ah**. It’s kind of like Donald Trump, it’s baked into him.
“He has a long, long history of cheating, going back decades, his wife knows about it and seems to be okay with it, so what are the consequences for him? The truth is Olivia — who I also know and think is extremely talented — had a lot more to lose in this, and she is losing it.”
Griffin described Nuzzi as a “world-class journalist” but said she disagrees with what she did
Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza, who are engaged to be married in 2022, attend the CBS News White House Correspondents’ Dinner After Party on April 29, 2023 in Washington, DC
She continued: ‘The magazine is currently conducting a review and investigation into the situation. It was unethical and it is now putting all of her writing into perspective and they are going through it with a magnifying glass to see if they see a conflict of interest.
“The issue here is the conflict of interest. She was covering the presidential campaign while she was writing pieces, and the question is, because she had this relationship, is there a conflict of interest? If there wasn’t, look, you can act crazy, you can send pictures, you can do whatever you want — but not if there’s a conflict of interest in your job.”
Last week, it was reported that New York magazine had suspended Nuzzi over her alleged affair with RFK Jr., which reportedly began when she visited his $7 million California mansion to write an article.
While Nuzzi confirmed that “the nature of some of the communications” had “become more personal,” she said the relationship had never been physical.
Her editors confirmed that the other party was a “former issue relevant to the 2024 campaign.”
Stands reported that the affair involved the former presidential candidate, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
RFK Jr. has maintained that he met the political journalist only once, when she profiled him last year.
“Mr. Kennedy met Olivia Nuzzi only once in his life for an interview she requested, which resulted in a damning article,” his spokesman said. CNNA source added that the nature of the relationship was “emotional and digital in nature, not physical.”