Olivia Nuzzi accuses ex-fiancé of blackmail and harassment amid RFK Jr. "sexting" scandal
Washington DC - Olivia Nuzzi, the journalist who was recently caught having a secret relationship with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now claims her ex-fiancé is blackmailing her over the incident.
According to Business Insider, Nuzzi made the allegations in a filing with the DC Superior Court's domestic relations branch, alleging her ex Ryan Lizza, the chief Washington correspondent for Politico, "explicitly threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation – a threat he has since carried out."
On Tuesday, a judge granted Nuzzi a temporary no-contact order against Lizza, who has yet to appear in court to defend himself.
The move comes after New York Magazine recently announced that they had placed Nuzzi on leave after discovering she had "engaged in a personal relationship" with Kennedy.
Nuzzi claimed that after the news broke and the two spilt up, Lizza hacked her devices to surveil her and collect dirt to blackmail her with. She alleged that he intended to use the dirt to win her back, and if she refused, he would release it to the media.
Lizza and Politico have since mutually agreed that he should take a leave of absence as the debacle plays out.
In a statement, Lizza said, "I am saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to making a series of false accusations against me as a way to divert attention from her own personal and professional failings."
Cover photo: Collage: Rebecca Noble & TASOS KATOPODIS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP