Olivia Nuzzi is accusing her ex-fiancé of blackmail and harassment after revelations about her personal affairs raised questions into her ethics.
The New York magazine writer's alleged relationship with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was tabloid fodder in September. Now she claims claimed that former partner Ryan Lizza, the chief Washington correspondent for Politico, leaked the news of her affair. CNN reported on Tuesday that Nuzzi is taking her former beau to court, accusing him of hacking her personal devices, shopping stories of her affair around to news organizations, and tipping off New York magazine.
In a D.C. court filing made this week, Lizza “explicitly threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation—a threat he has since carried out.”
Nuzzi also reportedly accused Lizza of making threats of violence against her to get the reporter “to assume his share of financial responsibility” in a joint book deal between the two.
Lizza, who broke off his engagement with Nuzzi and announced that he would no longer cover stories related to Kennedy for Politico, denied the allegations on Tuesday.
“I am saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to making a series of false accusations against me as a way to divert attention from her own personal and professional failings,” Lizza said in a statement to CNN’s Brian Stelter. “ I emphatically deny these allegations and I will defend myself against them vigorously and successfully."
Kennedy, who has dropped out of the 2024 presidential election and endorsed former President Donald Trump, has denied the affair.
