The nascent Vanity Fair comeback of prominent political writer Olivia Nuzzi hangs in the balance, with her temporary contract at the prestigious magazine set to expire imminently. Her future at the Condé Nast title has been thrown into severe doubt following a series of exposés published about her by her former fiancé, journalist Ryan Lizza.
A High-Profile Hiring Under Scrutiny
In September 2024, Vanity Fair's new global editorial director, Mark Guiducci, announced a slate of new hires. Among them was Olivia Nuzzi, appointed as West Coast editor. The move came after Nuzzi's departure from New York Magazine in October 2023. She was let go after the media newsletter Status revealed she had maintained a relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a presidential candidate she was covering at the time.
Guiducci, a thirtysomething editor favoured by Condé Nast's Anna Wintour, said the magazine was seeking "fearlessness" and a strong point of view. However, the situation changed dramatically on 17 November 2024, when Ryan Lizza began publishing a detailed series of articles levelling serious allegations against Nuzzi.
Damaging Allegations and Editorial Silence
Lizza's exposés accused Nuzzi of multiple journalistic ethics breaches. The initial edition alleged an affair with former South Carolina governor and 2020 Republican presidential candidate, Mark Sanford, whom she had previously profiled for New York Magazine. In a later instalment on 26 November, Lizza made his most serious claim: that Nuzzi had performed "catch-and-kill" operations for RFK Jr., identifying negative storylines and opposition research about him from trusted sources and feeding it directly to his campaign.
Vanity Fair's response was initially muted. The magazine waited four days after the first story broke before issuing a brief statement: "We were taken by surprise, and we are looking at all the facts." Since then, the publication has maintained total silence. A Vanity Fair spokesperson declined to comment on Nuzzi's status or the ongoing internal review, and employees have reportedly been kept in the dark. Nuzzi herself did not respond to a request for comment on her current employment status.
Contractual Limbo and Reputational Fallout
A critical factor is Nuzzi's employment terms. She is not a full-time staff member but is on a temporary contract that expires at the end of December 2024. This contract would need explicit renewal for her to stay. While media outlet Puck reported she was expected to join full-time in the new year, that now seems highly uncertain.
The scandal also poses a significant early test for editor Mark Guiducci. Media analyst Janice Min, CEO of the Ankler, called the hiring a "rookie error" but said the "jury was still out" on Guiducci's leadership. She noted the peril of legacy brands hiring personalities who can "outshine or overwhelm the mother brand."
Nuzzi broke her public silence on the allegations on Tuesday, during an online Q&A for her new book, American Canto. She labelled Lizza's series "abuse" and "obsessive and violating fan fiction/revenge porn" that would not meet the publication standards of a legitimate outlet. However, she also admitted fault in an interview with The Bulwark, stating, "I think shame is really important and I had fucked up. I did something wrong... I had violated that." She indicated she did not plan to return to campaign reporting.
Lizza, however, has not relented. The day after her comments, he published what he said was a "political strategy memo" Nuzzi wrote for Kennedy, advising on attire and media strategy for a June 2024 event. The controversy has so far not boosted sales of her book, which has received mostly negative reviews and ranked poorly on Amazon.
The ultimate resolution awaits the conclusion of Vanity Fair's review and the potential for further revelations from Ryan Lizza, who has promised more editions. For now, Olivia Nuzzi's career at one of journalism's most iconic titles remains in severe jeopardy.
