Journalist Olivia Nuzzi, already embroiled in one scandal, now faces a bombshell accusation from her ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, that she had an affair with former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, as the Daily Mail reports.
Here’s the crux: Nuzzi, a 32-year-old reporter, is caught in a storm of personal allegations just as she promotes her tell-all book, American Canto, set for release on Dec. 2, 2025, with Lizza claiming she cheated with Sanford years before her reported digital entanglement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Let’s rewind to the beginning of this tangled web. Back in 2009, Sanford, then South Carolina’s governor, became infamous for an extramarital affair that rocked his political career, though he finished his term in 2011 and later served in Congress until 2019.
Fast forward to 2019, when Nuzzi profiled Sanford for New York Magazine during his ill-fated presidential bid. That professional encounter, according to Lizza, morphed into something far more personal.
Lizza, 51, dropped this bombshell in a scathing Substack post on his outlet, Telos News, titled “Part 1: How I Found Out.” He alleges stumbling upon a love note from Nuzzi to Sanford that slipped from her backpack, sparking his suspicions.
“My heart stopped when I realized who he was,” Lizza wrote, describing his shock at discovering the alleged recipient of Nuzzi’s affections. Talk about a gut punch -- finding evidence of betrayal in such a mundane way speaks to the quiet devastation of personal trust eroded.
Lizza didn’t stop there with his claims. He asserts Nuzzi became infatuated with Sanford -- a man 32 years her senior -- sending risqué messages, secretly trailing him on the campaign trail, and even consummating the relationship at Sanford’s home.
Adding a layer of deceit, Lizza says Nuzzi fabricated a story about a family crisis involving her sick mother to cover her tracks during the alleged encounter. If true, this paints a picture of calculated moves, not mere lapses in judgment, which only deepens the ethical quagmire for a journalist.
Neither Nuzzi nor Sanford responded to requests for comment from the Daily Mail, leaving these accusations hanging in the air unanswered. Silence often speaks volumes, though in fairness, it’s not an admission of guilt -- yet it fuels the speculation.
Lizza, a seasoned political reporter himself, formerly with Politico and The New Yorker, expresses profound hurt over the alleged betrayal. He also mentions a joint book project on the 2020 presidential campaign, now tainted by this fallout, showing how personal drama can bleed into professional endeavors.
Interestingly, Lizza claims he initially intended to keep these allegations private but felt compelled to speak out due to Nuzzi’s upcoming memoir. “Silence no longer seems advisable or even possible,” he stated, signaling that the book’s revelations forced his hand -- a classic case of airing dirty laundry when pushed to the wall.
Nuzzi’s personal life has been a lightning rod lately, with her engagement to Lizza ending amid these claims and a contentious legal spat where she accused him of threats, only to later withdraw those allegations. Lizza called her claims “disgraceful lies,” suggesting a bitter feud far from resolved.
Layering on the controversy, Nuzzi’s recent history includes a reported digital affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., detailed in excerpts from her book and reported by outlets like Vanity Fair and The New York Times. Though non-physical, the emotional connection -- complete with pet names and poems -- raises questions about journalistic boundaries.
In September 2024, New York Magazine placed Nuzzi on leave over a problematic relationship with a former reporting subject, later identified as Kennedy, though an internal probe found no bias in her work. She ultimately parted ways with the magazine but landed as West Coast editor for Vanity Fair by September -- a curious pivot amid such scrutiny.
While Kennedy’s camp denies any inappropriate relationship, insisting they met only once for an interview, Nuzzi’s own statements and book passages keep the story alive. For conservatives wary of media bias, this saga underscores a troubling trend of personal entanglements muddying the waters of objective reporting, especially when progressive-leaning outlets seem quick to rehabilitate such figures. Yet, empathy is due -- navigating personal failings under public scrutiny is no easy task, and the truth deserves a fair hearing.
