RFK Jr.’s Friends Defend Him, Claim Olivia Nuzzi ‘Set Him Up’ With Risqué Pics Amid Latest Scandal

Friends of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are rallying to his defense, claiming that star political journalist Olivia Nuzzi ‘set him up’ by persistently sending risqué photos even after her number had been blocked. The unexpected scandal has ignited a media frenzy, with Kennedy’s allies alleging that Nuzzi, the New York Magazine writer, aggressively pursued him, while Nuzzi’s camp denies these allegations, calling the situation far more complicated. One source claimed, “She targeted him pretty hard. Bobby was blocking her continually. It was a little scary. She was obsessed with him. I think she still is.”

However, her camp exclaimed, “It’s absolutely untrue that she was the aggressor, but both parties were aware of how high pressure and high risk the circumstances were and for that reason, their communication was very on and off.” According to reports, Nuzzi first interviewed Kennedy during his independent presidential run, but the situation quickly spiraled from a professional interaction into a messy digital entanglement. Kennedy’s friends insist that he was repeatedly bombarded with suggestive messages and pictures, forcing him to block her on multiple occasions. Yet, Nuzzi allegedly continued to contact him from several numbers and emails, as reported by the Daily Beast. 

Jessica Read Kraus, a journalist and friend of Kennedy, further fueled the fire and remarked, “A few weeks later, Nuzzi emailed him, asking to be unblocked, claiming she had urgent information about a hit piece being prepared against him. He unblocked her for that conversation, but later that night, she sent him a provocative picture, prompting him to block her again. Once unblocked, she bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos that he found difficult to resist.” Krauss also revealed that Kennedy intends to file a civil lawsuit against the journalist for what he and his allies saw as deliberate entrapment. 

As per the sources of The Independent, Nuzzi herself has acknowledged, “Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”

The fallout from this digital fling has been prominent. As per the reports, New York Magazine, where Nuzzi is a prominent political correspondent, has placed her on leave pending an investigation into her conduct. Meanwhile, Kennedy’s team continues to deny that any romantic relationship existed, maintaining that the two only met once, professionally, for an interview. Despite Kennedy’s repeated assertions that he was a victim of Nuzzi’s aggressive advances, some critics have pointed to his history of self-victimization, as outlined in his diaries from 2001, where he detailed his struggles with fidelity.