Olivia Nuzzi accuses ex-fiancé of blackmail amid RFK Jr. scandal

• Olivia Nuzzi has accused her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza of blackmail and career threats in court filings.
• Lizza denied the allegations in a statement.
• New York magazine placed Nuzzi on leave amid a review of her relationship with RFK Jr.

New York magazine political writer Olivia Nuzzi has accused her ex-fiancé, Politico reporter Ryan Lizza, of blackmailing her and threatening to destroy her career. The allegations, which she made in court documents seen by Business Insider, mark the latest twist in the dramatic story surrounding Nuzzi’s relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

New York magazine placed Nuzzi on leave last month and hired a law firm to review her work and relationship with the former presidential candidate.

In an Oct. 1 petition for a civil protection order in the domestic violence division of D.C. Superior Court, Nuzzi alleged that Lizza hacked her devices in recent months to surveil her and collect materials to blackmail her. She said in the filing that Lizza planned to lure her back into a relationship with him and, if she refused, damage them professionally.

Nuzzi also said in the filing that Lizza stole a personal device from her and recovered deleted material from the device to use as blackmail and distribute media through anonymous channels to harass her. She said she believes he manipulated the material to make it more damaging and to anonymize himself.

She said in the filing that Lizza “threatened to release personal information about me to destroy my life, career and reputation — a threat she has carried out ever since.”

Lizza, whose outlet shares a parent company with BI, denied the claims in a statement: “I am saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to a series of false allegations against me as a way to distract from her own personal and professional. I categorically deny these allegations and I will defend myself against them vigorously and successfully.”

Nuzzi also said in the filing that Lizza threatened her with physical violence to coerce her into accepting his share of financial responsibility for a joint contract the pair had with a book publisher.

The filing does not name RFK Jr. But Nuzzi claimed Lizza contacted her boss around Sept. 18 to initiate a conversation about the “matter.” Journalist Oliver Darcy reported on September 19 in his newsletter, Status, that New York magazine had placed her on leave.

The story has already had major consequences for New York magazine, its parent Vox Media, and the journalists involved. New York magazine placed Nuzzi on leave after her editors learned she had an affair with Kennedy while covering the presidential race. The New Yorker called it a “violation of the magazine’s standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosure” and said it was conducting a third-party investigation. Nuzzi previously said in a statement to The New York Times that the relationship was not physical. A Kennedy representative said he only met Olivia Nuzzi once for an interview she requested.

Lizza previously said he would no longer be involved in covering RFK Jr. because of his connection to the story.

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Hildum approved a temporary restraining order against Lizza. Lizza is now not prohibited from contacting Nuzzi or visiting her home at work.

Temporary protection orders are usually granted, sometimes without notifying the person against whom they were filed. The judge will decide whether to leave the order in place or lift it at a later court date. The next court date in the case is scheduled for October 15.