In an unexpected series of events that have set the journalism world and political circles abuzz, the prestigious New York Magazine correspondent Olivia Newsy has been placed on leave. This has happened, if you can believe it, while she is in the midst of an allegation-heavy series of coatings that includes not one but two coats of tar and a coat of shellac. The lead story involves Newsy, in an oh-so-appropriate-for-sensationalist-Journalism-1A twist, allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Olivia Newsy, a well-respected political journalist since her great assignment in 2017 as Washington correspondent for New York Magazine, now finds herself front and center in a raging storm. Because when it was whispered that she had a relationship—allegedly “too close for comfort”—with a key player in the 2024 presidential campaign, the identity of that political heavyweight was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Yet within just days, the charismatic independent candidate RFK Jr.—who dropped out of the 2024 race this past August—became the prime suspect in this intrigue.
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Newsy was in a glorious place, betrothed to Ryan Lizza, the chief Washington correspondent for Politico, when the Newsy narrative hit the proverbial iceberg. An eye-opening report from NBC News, using credible sources like the New York Times and CNN, accused RFK Jr.—who has had a romantic link with actress Cheryl Hines—of having an affair.
On September 19th, New York Magazine released a statement. It was direct and to the point. It disclosed that Olivia had told the magazine’s editors about having a “personal relationship” with a former political campaign subject she had reported on. The statement didn’t mince words. It was a revelation that was sure to set off shock waves, and for good reason. It wasn’t the sort of thing you could easily get past, especially in the wake of the Society of Professional Journalists’ recent reaffirmation of the principle that “journalists should avoid conflicts of interest and situations that may diminish integrity or damage credibility.”
Even after the breathtaking plot twist, New York Magazine sought to assure its readership of Olivia’s long-established journalistic integrity, maintaining that her voluminous amount of coverage of the 2024 presidential campaign contained “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias” whatsoever. But then the floodgates really opened—because when Olivia’s “good friend” at the magazine, the writer and editor Jonathan Chait, issued an appeal for her exoneration, he naturally had to preface and conclude it with something he deemed to be an impressive presidential campaign event.
Although she vigorously asserts that the relationship never became physical, she admitted to not being forthright about it to maintain the “transparency and trust” that she believes is at the foundation of her marriage. RFK Jr.’s representatives issued a statement to the New York Times, clarifying that the politician had met Newsy only once and that the meeting resulted in a not-very-flattering portrayal of him in the above-referenced profile. In it, Newsy goes on a metaphorically loaded “hike” with Kennedy that leaves a lot of room for both speculation and gossip.
According to people in the know, things may not have been quite so cordial during the interview as it seemed from the published interview transcript. Their conversation took place on a beautiful, golden fall day, and though it centered on politics, lines might have been crossed leading to something more personal. This is certainly implied by the authors of the piece. One could also infer from the narrative that they are weaving that they might have had some influence in coaxing Kennedy out of the Democratic Party.
As Olivia withdraws from her high-profile position in the ongoing third-party investigation of the magazine, all sorts of unanswered questions linger in the air. Did RFK Jr. have the foggiest idea of the media maelstrom he was partly stirring up? Is there a lot more to this story than anyone has yet told? By the looks of things, we’re going to have to be patient for a while longer to get any sort of resolution or further commentary from anyone involved.
Although the political elite and media circles might be swirling with rumors, one thing we know for sure is that this unfolding drama is keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. People are dying to know what happens next in this undoubtedly and undisputedly sizzling hot story of 2023.
