Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering suing Olivia Nuzzi, a political reporter for New York Magazine, over a series of explicit messages she allegedly sent him, according to sources close to Kennedy. Nuzzi reportedly sent pornographic photos and videos to the former presidential candidate, which led to her being placed on leave after the scandal surfaced Thursday, Sept. 19.
The messages were exchanged over an eight-month period, during which Kennedy allegedly blocked and unblocked her number multiple times.
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Jessica Read Kraus, a mutual friend of both parties, claimed Kennedy was tricked into unblocking Nuzzi, who would assert she had urgent information about a damaging article being written about him. Once unblocked, she allegedly inundated him with increasingly graphic content.
Kraus, also a reporter, recalled her interactions with Nuzzi regarding their mutual coverage of Kennedy.
“Olivia would ask me almost intimate questions about him and his relationships with staff and his wife after each campaign stop — who he was seen talking to, what his mood was like, and whether he showed any signs of flirtation,” Kraus said. “There was an undercurrent of fascination that went beyond journalistic intrigue, bordering on obsession.”
Friends of Kennedy expressed concerns that Nuzzi may have been “obsessively” pursuing him, prompting Kennedy to hire a security expert to investigate whether civil or criminal action should be taken against her.
“She went after him aggressively,” an unnamed source close to the Kennedy camp told the New York Post. “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.”
“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,” a source who spoke with the New York Post said in response to these allegations.
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New York Magazine placed Nuzzi on leave from her magazine after it was revealed she had a “non-physical, personal relationship” with Kennedy. Her editors stated they would have acted differently had they known about the relationship while she was covering his campaign.
[KARAH RUCKER]
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. IS CONSIDERING SUING OLIVIA NUZZI – A POLITICAL REPORTER FOR NEW YORK MAGAZINE – OVER A SERIES OF EXPLICIT MESSAGES SHE ALLEGEDLY SENT HIM, ACCORDING TO SOURCES CLOSE TO KENNEDY.
NUZZI REPORTEDLY SENT PORNOGRAPHIC PHOTOS AND VIDEOS TO THE FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE –
AND BECAUSE OF IT – WAS PLACED ON LEAVE WHEN THE SCANDAL SURFACED LAST WEEK.
THESE MESSAGES WERE SENT OVER AN 8 MONTH PERIOD – ON AND OFF – WITH KENNEDY ALLEGEDLY BLOCKING HER NUMBER AND UNBLOCKING IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
JESSICA READ KRAUS, A MUTUAL FRIEND OF BOTH PARTIES, SAYS KENNEDY WAS TRICKED INTO UNBLOCKING NUZZI, WHO WOULD CLAIM TO HAVE URGENT INFORMATION ABOUT A DAMAGING ARTICLE BEING WRITTEN ABOUT HIM. ONCE HE UNBLOCKED HER, SHE ALLEGEDLY BOMBARDED HIM WITH INCREASINGLY GRAPHIC PHOTOS AND VIDEOS.
KRAUS ALSO A REPORTER – RECALLED HER INTERACTIONS WITH NUZZI OVER THEIR MUTUAL COVERAGE OF KENNEDY.
TELLING THE NEW YORK POST –
“OLIVIA would ask me almost intimate questions about him and his relationships with staff and his wife after each campaign stop — who he was seen talking to, what his mood was like, and whether he showed any signs of flirtation. There was an undercurrent of fascination that went beyond journalistic intrigue, bordering on obsession.”
FRIENDS OF KENNEDY SHARED CONCERNS NUZZI MAY HAVE BEEN “OBSESSIVELY” PURSUING HIM –
LEADING KENNEDY TO HIRE A SECURITY EXPERT TO LOOK INTO THE SITUATION TO SEE IF CIVIL OR CRIMINAL ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST NUZZI.
AN UNNAMED SOURCE CLOSE TO THE KENNEDY CAMP TOLD THE NEW YORK POST –
“She went after him aggressively. 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.”
IN RESPONSE TO THESE ALLEGATIONS, A SOURCE WHO SPOKE WITH THE NEW YORK POST SAYS –
“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.
NUZZI WAS PLACED ON LEAVE FROM HER MAGAZINE AFTER IT WAS REVEALED SHE HAD A “NON-PHYSICAL, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP” WITH KENNEDY.
HER EDITORS STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ACTED DIFFERENTLY IF THEY HAD KNOWN ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WHILE SHE WAS COVERING HIS CAMPAIGN.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY –
AND YOU CAN TOO.
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