Why is Olivia Nuzzi's Vanity Fair role reportedly in jeopardy? Everything we know so far

Olivia Nuzzi’s role as West Coast editor at Vanity Fair is reportedly in jeopardy, as she has been at the center of multiple controversies due to her past romantic relationships.

The 32-year-old journalist was hired by the company in September. Previously, she worked at New York Magazine for seven years as a correspondent but officially parted ways in October last year after disclosing a personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

One insider told Page Six that Nuzzi hasn’t yet picked up her Condé Nast laptop, nor does she have a single story in the next two issues of the magazine. They added that she never responded to an email she was cc’d on.

Another reason involves a series of Substack essays by Nuzzi’s ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, a political journalist, in which he claims she allegedly slept with the former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford while profiling him for a story.

According to a report in Semafor, the company is still in the midst of reaching a final decision. The review has been described as “narrow,” focusing on Nuzzi’s conduct and Lizza’s ongoing posts.

Continue to read for more details.

Vanity Fair reviews Olivia Nuzzi's alleged unethical conduct

According to reports, Vanity Fair is conducting a review of Olivia Nuzzi’s past conduct, focusing in particular on allegations of ethical breaches in her journalism career.

These claims primarily stem from her former partner, Ryan Lizza’s accusations in his Substack essays. The Independent reported that in an essay titled Part 1: How I Found Out, he described finding an unfinished letter addressed to another man, who was reportedly the former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

When The New York Times spoke to Vanity Fair about whether Nuzzi would continue to work with the organization, a spokesperson said:

“We were taken by surprise, and we are looking at all the facts.”

In her latest memoir, American Canto, Nuzzi describes her ardent feelings for a Kennedy-like character she calls “the Politician.” Defending his client, her lawyer, Ari Wilkenfeld, said in a statement:

“In ‘American Canto,’ Ms. Nuzzi discusses the only instance in her long career as a journalist in which she had an improper relationship with someone she was covering.”

His remarks emphasized that Nuzzi did not intend to engage further with attempts to damage her reputation beyond what she has already disclosed in the book. Previously, Olivia Nuzzi lost her job at New York Magazine when the company learned of her involvement with Kennedy.

In part three of his essay series, Lizza alleged that Olivia Nuzzi crossed ethical boundaries, reportedly moving from being a journalist into acting as a private political operative for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during their s*xting relationship.

Nuzzi has denied the allegations, calling them an ongoing “harassment campaign.” Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines, has also denied an inappropriate relationship with Nuzzi.

Olivia Nuzzi was born in New York City and grew up in Middletown Township, New Jersey. After graduating from Middletown High School South, she attended Fordham University. She got an internship with Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor.

However, she left midway when she had the opportunity to work for The Daily Beast in 2014. Three years later, she was hired as a Washington correspondent for New York Magazine, where she remained until she was put on leave last year. She has also written for GQ, Esquire, and The Washington Post.

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