N.Y. Magazine reporter on leave after alleged relationship with RFK

 New York Magazine Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi is on leave after an alleged "romantic" relationship with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Oliver Darcy's Status newsletter reported on Thursday.

The big picture: The magazine said in an online statement that Nuzzi "acknowledged" to editors "that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazine's standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures."

What they're saying: A spokesperson for RFK told CNN that Kennedy, who endorsed former President Trump after dropping out of the 2024 race, "only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece."

• Nuzzi said in a statement shared with outlets including Axios that "the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal" earlier this year.
• "During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source," she said. "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."

Zoom in: N.Y. Mag said in its statement that Nuzzi "would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign" had the magazine "been aware of this relationship."

• It confirmed that Nuzzi was on leave from the magazine following the incident.
• "An internal review of her published work has found no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias," per the statement.
• The magazine "is conducting a more thorough third-party review," it added. "We regret this violation of our readers' trust."
• Representatives for Nuzzi and Kennedy could not be immediately reached for comment in the evening.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of statements provided to CNN from former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Olivia Nuzzi.