Olivia Nuzzi has accused ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza of extortion and career threats in court documents. Riza denied the charges in a statement. New York magazine has placed Nuzzi on leave while it reviews his relationship with RFK Jr.
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New York magazine political reporter Olivia Nuzzi has accused her ex-fiancé, Politico reporter Ryan Rizza, of blackmailing her and threatening to destroy her career. Her accusations, made in court documents seen by Business Insider, mark the latest development in the dramatic saga surrounding Nuzzi's relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Last month, the New York magazine placed Ms. Nuzzi on leave and hired a law firm to review her work and relationship with the former presidential candidate.
In a petition for a civil protection order filed Oct. 1 in the Domestic Violence Division of the D.C. Superior Court, Ms. Nuzzi alleges that Ms. Rizza has been monitoring and threatening her in recent months. He claimed to have hacked the device to collect the information. She said in her filing that Riza intended to lure her back into a relationship with him and to harm her professionally if she refused.
Nuzzi also said in the filing that Riza stole personal devices, retrieved deleted content from those devices and used them to blackmail and harass the media by distributing them through anonymous channels. Ta. She said she believes he falsified the material to do more damage and anonymize himself.
She said in her filing that Riza had “threatened to release my personal information in order to destroy my life, career, and reputation, and has continued to carry out this threat.”
Riza, who shares a parent company with BI, denied the allegations in a statement, saying: “My ex-fiancé has made a series of claims against me as a way to distract from his own personal and professional matters. “We regret that he attempted to rely on false accusations.” I categorically deny these allegations and intend to defend myself vigorously and successfully. ”
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Nuzzi also said in her filing that Riza threatened her with physical violence to force her to take financial responsibility for a joint agreement with a book publisher.
Although RFK Jr.'s name is not mentioned in the filing, Nuzzi claimed that Rizza contacted his boss around September 18 to begin discussing “issues.” Journalist Oliver Darcy reported in his newsletter, Status, on September 19 that New York magazine had placed her on leave.
The article has already had a huge impact on New York Magazine, its parent company Vox Media, and the journalists involved. The New York magazine placed Ms. Nuzi on leave after editors learned she had an affair with Mr. Kennedy while covering the presidential campaign. New York state said the move “violated the magazine's standards regarding conflicts of interest and disclosure” and that it was conducting an independent investigation. Nuzzi previously said in a statement to The New York Times that the relationship was not physical. A representative for Kennedy said they met only once for an interview requested by Olivia Nuzzi.
Riza previously stated that due to his involvement with RFK Jr., he would no longer be involved in reporting on RFK Jr.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Hildum approved a temporary restraining order against Riza. Riza is currently prohibited from contacting Nuzzi or visiting his home while he is at work.
Temporary protection orders are also typically granted without notice to the person against whom it is 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 15th.
