Explosive Allegations Rock Political Journalism World
In a dramatic revelation that has sent shockwaves through Washington's media circles, journalist Ryan Lizza has publicly accused his former fiancée Olivia Nuzzi of having an affair with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford years before her much-publicised digital relationship with Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The 51-year-old Lizza, a former Washington correspondent for Politico, made the stunning claims in a Substack post titled 'Part 1: How I Found Out', published on his outlet Telos News. He described discovering what he alleges was evidence of Nuzzi's relationship with Sanford while they were engaged.
The Love Note That Revealed Everything
Lizza claims he first uncovered the alleged affair in March 2020 when a love note written by Nuzzi scattered from her backpack. The note, addressed to what Lizza described as 'a famous politician, 32 years older than Olivia, and well-known for a sex scandal', contained lurid passages that left him devastated.
'If I swallowed every drop of water from the tower above your house, I would still thirst for you,' Nuzzi allegedly wrote in the passage shared by Lizza. The famous politician in question was not RFK Jr, but rather Mark Sanford, whom Nuzzi had profiled for New York Magazine during his long-shot 2020 presidential bid.
Sanford, who captured national headlines in 2009 after admitting to an extramarital affair, served as South Carolina's governor until 2011 despite the scandal and later returned to Congress until 2019.
Campaign Trail Trysts and Deception
According to Lizza's account, Nuzzi told him she became 'infatuated' with Sanford after covering him for New York Magazine. He alleges that she sent the former governor 'increasingly risqué pictures and texts' and even 'secretly followed him on the campaign trail.'
The most damaging claim involves Lizza's assertion that Nuzzi and Sanford 'consummated' their relationship at the ex-governor's home. He alleges this occurred 'one night after she went dark on me and made up a story about how she was dealing with a crisis concerning her sick mother.'
Lizza described his reaction to the discovery as immediate panic about their professional futures. 'My heart stopped when I realized who he was,' he wrote, adding that he immediately called his agent to declare: 'We have a big problem. Olivia is sleeping with Mark Sanford.'
From Private Grievance to Public Revelation
Lizza explained that he had wanted to keep the allegations private but decided to go public in response to Nuzzi's upcoming memoir, 'American Canto', which is set to hit shelves on December 2. The 32-year-old Nuzzi has been easing back into public life to promote the tell-all book.
The Washington journalist revealed that Nuzzi had attempted to negotiate a non-disclosure agreement last year, messaging through a mutual friend to say she 'will never talk about any of this again, and I hope you will do the same.'
However, Lizza stated that 'silence no longer seems advisable or even possible' in light of Nuzzi's press tour for her book, which he had no advance knowledge of and assumed would never be published.
Pattern of Controversial Relationships
Lizza claims that Nuzzi's alleged tryst with Sanford came years before her widely reported 'digital affair' with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr last year. That relationship caused significant professional consequences for Nuzzi, including being placed on leave from New York Magazine in September 2024.
Nuzzi's book revelations about Kennedy have already set the internet ablaze, particularly her account of worrying that a worm was lodged in the 71-year-old health secretary's brain. In excerpts published by Vanity Fair, she writes 'I loved his brain. I hated the idea of an intruder therein.'
The fallout from the Kennedy scandal extended to Nuzzi's personal life, ending her engagement to Lizza and leading to a contentious legal dispute where she initially accused him of threats and blackmail before withdrawing the claims.
Professional Fallout and Second Chances
Nuzzi's career has weathered significant storms in the past year. After New York Magazine placed her on leave, an internal investigation found 'no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias' in her reporting on Kennedy, though she nevertheless departed the publication.
She spent time in self-imposed exile in Los Angeles before Vanity Fair announced in September that she would serve as West Coast editor, marking a second chance in journalism.
Lizza, for his part, has his own complicated history in media. The former New Yorker reporter left that publication in 2017 following accusations of sexual misconduct, which he denied, before working at Politico.
As the promotion for 'American Canto' continues and Lizza's allegations circulate, the political journalism world watches closely, waiting to see how these revelations will affect both journalists' careers and whether further responses will emerge from either Nuzzi or Sanford.
