Vanity Fair has ended its association with Olivia Nuzzi, who had briefly served as the magazine's west coast editor, following controversy over her relationship with US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and allegations of ethical breaches. Publisher Condé Nast announced on Friday that the decision to let her contract expire at the end of the year was mutual and in the best interest of the magazine.
Nuzzi's position became uncertain after her former fiancé, journalist Ryan Lizza, published a series of personal exposés in November, accusing her of multiple professional breaches. These included an affair with former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, a 2020 Republican presidential candidate whom she was covering, and a more extensive connection to Kennedy's presidential campaign than previously admitted.
Vanity Fair initially remained silent on Lizza's claims for four days before issuing a brief statement saying it was looking at all the facts. Staff reportedly received little information about the internal review. Nuzzi had joined the magazine under a short-term deal set to conclude at the end of 2025, focusing on events, industries, and culture of the Pacific region.
Her memoir, 'American Canto', was released on Tuesday, with an excerpt running in Vanity Fair. The book addresses her entanglement with Kennedy without naming him, but critical response has been largely negative. In a recent interview, Nuzzi acknowledged her wrongdoing, stating, 'I think shame is really important and I had fucked up. I did something wrong. Those ethics rules exist for a reason – they're really good rules. And I had violated that.' She said she did not intend to return to campaign reporting.
