Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is exploring a potential lawsuit against New York magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi, who allegedly "bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos" while deceiving him into unblocking her numbers, according to a mutual friend. Nuzzi was put on leave last week by New York magazine after she admitted to having an affair with RFK Jr.
Kennedy has enlisted security expert Gavin de Becker to investigate the matter, as he is reportedly considering civil and possibly criminal action against the 31-year-old political journalist, according to Jessica Read Kraus, who is knows both parties. "This had nothing to do with romance," de Becker said of the sordid saga.
Nuzzi May Face Lawsuit
"He was being chased by porn," added de Becker. Nuzzi reportedly deceived the 70-year-old married politician into receiving her racy messages after he initially blocked her number.
This came after she made a flirtatious comment just two weeks following the publication of her profile on him in November 2023, according to Kraus.
"A few weeks later, Nuzzi emailed him, asking to be unblocked, claiming she had urgent information about a hit piece being prepared against him," Kraus wrote on her "House Inhabit" Substack.
"He unblocked her for that conversation, but later that night, she sent him a provocative picture, prompting him to block her again," Kraus alleged, according to the New York Post.
According to Kraus, Kennedy kept the Washington correspondent's number blocked for the next eight months, except for a few instances when she contacted him using different emails and phone numbers, "insisting" on speaking on "urgent discussion about an imminent hit piece."
"Once unblocked, she bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos that he found difficult to resist. After brief exchanges, he would block her again," Kraus alleged.
Kraus said that other friends she spoke to believe Nuzzi may have "set him up." As for Kraus, she said she "unexpectedly" developed a friendship with Nuzzi late last year due to their shared coverage of Kennedy.
Growing Suspicious About Nuzzi
However, her suspicions arose when Nuzzi began bombarding her with personal questions about him.
"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 wrote.
"There was an undercurrent of fascination that went beyond journalistic intrigue, bordering on obsession.
"Her constant desire for updates, coupled with the tone of her inquiries, made it clear she wasn't merely reporting: She was weaving some kind of fantasy."
A source close to Kennedy's circle previously told The New York Post that Nuzzi became "obsessed" with the former candidate after conducting an interview at his California home. She allegedly pursued him persistently through text messages, leading him to block her multiple times.
"She went after him aggressively," the source told the outlet. "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."
Nuzzi's team has previously refuted claims that she was the aggressor and drove the relationship, though they did not deny that the digital interactions were occasionally tumultuous.
