Vanity Fair has launched an internal investigation into one of its prominent journalists following explosive allegations made by her former fiancé, throwing the publication's ethics standards into the spotlight.
The Explosive Allegations
Political journalist Ryan Lizza, who was previously engaged to Olivia Nuzzi, published a detailed Substack essay titled "Part 1: How I Found Out" making serious claims about her professional conduct. Lizza alleges he discovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Nuzzi and former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford.
The controversy centres around Nuzzi's 2019 profile of Sanford for New York Magazine, which covered his unsuccessful 2020 presidential bid. Lizza claims he found an incomplete love letter in 2020 that confirmed a physical relationship between Nuzzi and the politician, who is 32 years her senior.
"My heart stopped when I realised who he was," Lizza wrote in his essay. "He was a famous politician, 32 years older than Olivia, and well-known for a sex scandal."
Vanity Fair's Response
The timing of these allegations is particularly sensitive, coming just weeks before the scheduled release of Nuzzi's new book, American Canto on December 2.
A Vanity Fair spokesperson confirmed to the New York Times that the publication was "taken by surprise" by the allegations and is now "looking at all the facts" regarding Lizza's claims.
Nuzzi's legal representative has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that her forthcoming book mentions only one "improper relationship" during her journalistic career. The lawyer emphasised that Nuzzi would "not dignify efforts to impugn her character with any future response."
Pattern of Controversy
This isn't the first time Nuzzi's professional boundaries have faced scrutiny. She previously left her position as Washington correspondent for New York Magazine in October 2024 after reports emerged of an undisclosed personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom she had profiled.
Lizza's essay also revealed details about Nuzzi's relationship with political commentator Keith Olbermann, describing it as "unusual." He alleged that Olbermann paid for her college education, gifted her expensive jewellery and designer dresses, and they lived together in a Trump building on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Olbermann confirmed their romantic involvement to the New York Times, describing it as "marriage-y" and noting they got puppies and tattoos together. However, Nuzzi fired back at Olbermann's comments, stating: "I have not ever before and will not now acknowledge any claims made by this person."
The unfolding scandal raises significant questions about journalistic ethics and personal relationships within political reporting circles, with Vanity Fair now facing pressure to address these concerns transparently as the story continues to develop.
