Summary (tl;dr)

Journalist Ryan Lizza has publicly alleged that his ex-fiancée, Olivia Nuzzi, had an affair with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford in 2020 while she was covering his presidential campaign. This new claim follows Nuzzi's previously reported "personal relationship" with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and comes ahead of her memoir detailing that relationship.

Essential Background

Olivia Nuzzi is a political journalist known for her work with New York Magazine and, more recently, Vanity Fair. In September 2024, she was placed on leave from New York Magazine after disclosing an undisclosed "personal relationship" with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a subject she had covered during his 2024 presidential campaign. This revelation led to the end of her engagement to fellow journalist Ryan Lizza. Mark Sanford is a Republican politician who served as Governor of South Carolina and a U.S. Congressman, and notably ran for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. He was previously embroiled in a public scandal in 2009 involving an extramarital affair. Keith Olbermann is a veteran political commentator and former MSNBC host.

The Full Story

On Monday, November 17, 2025, Ryan Lizza published a detailed account on his Substack, Telos News, accusing Olivia Nuzzi of having a "physical" affair with Mark Sanford in early March 2020. Lizza claims he discovered an unfinished love letter from Nuzzi to Sanford while they were living together in Washington, D.C.. At the time, Nuzzi was covering Sanford's 2020 Republican presidential campaign for New York Magazine.

In the same Substack post, Lizza also recounted an earlier "unusual relationship" between Nuzzi and Keith Olbermann, alleging that Olbermann, who was 34 years Nuzzi's senior, had acted as a "sugar daddy," providing her with financial support for college, expensive clothing, jewelry, and rent for an apartment in Manhattan. Keith Olbermann has since responded to these allegations on social media platform X, defending his past relationship with Nuzzi as a "wholesome fling" and playfully addressing Lizza's claims.

These new allegations from Lizza come just weeks before the scheduled December 2025 release of Nuzzi's memoir, "American Canto," which is expected to delve into her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr..

Why It Matters

This series of revelations has reignited significant discussions about journalistic ethics and the boundaries between a reporter's personal life and professional responsibilities, especially when covering political figures. The accusation of Nuzzi engaging in an affair with a second presidential candidate she was covering raises serious questions about the integrity of political reporting and the potential for bias. With Nuzzi's book release imminent, the ongoing public discourse highlights the intense scrutiny faced by journalists regarding their conduct and the broader implications for public trust in media institutions. The involvement of well-known public figures like Mark Sanford and Keith Olbermann further amplifies the public's interest and the gravity of the ethical concerns being raised.

Geographic Location

• Georgetown, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States (Ryan Lizza alleges discovering evidence of Olivia Nuzzi's affair with Mark Sanford)
• South Carolina, United States (Location of Mark Sanford's home where alleged rendezvous with Olivia Nuzzi occurred, and where Nuzzi conducted reporting trips for Sanford's campaign)
• Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States (Location where Olivia Nuzzi allegedly moved in with Keith Olbermann)
• Suburban New Jersey, New Jersey, United States (Location of Olivia Nuzzi's home she allegedly fled to move in with Keith Olbermann)