Olivia Nuzzi, the disgraced political journalist who torpedoed her career with an undisclosed “sexting” relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may be staging a high-profile comeback — with Vanity Fair.
Nuzzi, 31, left New York Magazine last year after revelations that she engaged in a year-long affair that included “incredible” FaceTime sex, “demure nudes,” lengthy phone calls and “I love yous” with Kennedy while covering his independent presidential campaign.
The bombshell forced her into exile after the magazine ruled she violated ethics rules by failing to disclose the relationship, even though investigators found no bias in her reporting.
Now, Nuzzi has been in talks with Vanity Fair’s new editor, Mark Guiducci, about joining the battered Condé Nast title, according to Semafor.
Guiducci, 37, a protégé of Anna Wintour who took over Vanity Fair this summer, has been courting bold names to revive the magazine’s fading luster, according to the news site.
He has already axed veteran writers, promised splashy hires, and reportedly outraged staffers with an idea to put Melania Trump on the cover as part of a plan to shake up the brand.
The editor has reportedly reached out not only to Nuzzi but also to high-profile journalists like Matt Belloni of Puck; Jazmine Hughes; Allison P. Davis and the LA Times’ Amy Kaufman.
The Post has sought comment from Condé Nast and Nuzzi.
Nuzzi’s possible return would mark a stunning twist in a saga that turned her from rising star to media pariah.
The RFK Jr. scandal surfaced in October 2024 when New York Magazine put Nuzzi on paid leave after receiving tips about her connection to Kennedy.
Weeks later, she and the publication “mutually agreed” to part ways.
The fallout intensified when leaked private messages revealed an emotional intimacy far deeper than previously acknowledged, sparking outrage across the industry.
At the same time, Nuzzi found herself embroiled in a legal dispute with her ex-fiancé, Politico reporter Ryan Lizza, over a protective order she later withdrew — a sideshow that further fueled tabloid attention.
Lizza, who was Politico’s chief Washington correspondent and co-author of the influential “Playbook” newsletter, was placed on leave shortly after the revelations, stepping aside from any Kennedy-related coverage.
Their engagement ended around the same period, though neither made the timeline public. By April, Lizza formally exited Politico, citing frustration with its editorial direction while also facing internal pressure tied to the Nuzzi affair.
Lizza quickly resurfaced with an independent venture, a Substack newsletter called “Telos,” where he’s pitched himself as a freer, more candid voice on American politics.
But the split from Politico has been anything but quiet. The outlet hit him with cease-and-desist letters, accusing him of violating non-disparagement agreements after he blasted his former bosses for “capitulating” to the Trump administration.
Professionally, the scandal halted Nuzzi’s ascent. Once seen as one of Washington’s sharpest young voices, Nuzzi vanished from the media spotlight. But reports in recent weeks suggest she’s quietly exploring her return, with Vanity Fair at the top of the list.
