Olivia Nuzzi ex Ryan Lizza takes leave of absence after NY Mag writer accuses him of blackmail over RFK Jr 'affair'

Ryan Lizza is reportedly taking a 'leave of absence' after a bombshell court filing alleging he blackmailed ex-fiance Olivia Nuzzi over her rumored affair with RFK Jr. 

The New York Magazine writer, 31, was placed on leave last month after it was revealed that she had engaged in an 'emotional and digital affair' with the former presidential candidate, 70, after she profiled him for a story in November. 

On Tuesday, Nuzzi claimed in DC Supreme Court that Lizza 'explicitly threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation—a threat he has since carried out.' 

Now, Lizza will be taking a mutually-agreed leave of absence from his work at Politico.

Both Lizza and Politico - where Lizza is the Chief Washington Correspondent - agreed to the leave, which will last at least until an internal investigation is concluded, according to Semafor.

Both Nuzzi and RFK Jr. have insisted the relationship was never physical, with their tryst reportedly extending to steamy sexting sessions and 'incredible' Facetime sex, as friends told Page Six that Nuzzi was impressed by 70-year-old RFK Jr.'s 'sexual stamina'.

But Nuzzi has now lodged a court filing in Washington DC's Supreme Court making the claims of blackmail against Lizza.

Lizza was issued with a no-contact order at a court hearing on Tuesday. He did not attend.

He told CNN in a statement: '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. 

'I emphatically deny these allegations and I will defend myself against them vigorously and successfully.'

Nuzzi alleges Lizza began a campaign of harassment in July in an effort to blackmail her back into their relationship.

Nuzzi claims Lizza stole an electronic device from her, hacked her, and then 'shopped' information around to media outlets. 

The 31-year-old reporter claims her former partner is also behind her bosses finding out about her connection with RFK Jr., potentially 'through a third party or anonymous channel.' 

A judge on Tuesday ruled that Nuzzi can have police with her when she attempts to get her belongings back from Lizza. 

The matter will return to court on October 15. 

Lizza was previously the New Yorker's Washington Correspondent but was fired in 2017 due to allegations of 'improper sexual conduct', as he joined a list of powerful industry figures to face allegations related to the #MeToo movement. 

He had married his college sweetheart Christina Irene Gillespie, a family physician, at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington in June 2004. The pair had two children but after 11 years of marriage, they filed for divorce.

In 2022, the correspondent got engaged to Nuzzi, who announced their betrothal on Instagram with a series of videos showing off a huge, solitaire-cut sparkler on her ring finger.

The former couple were due to publish a book together about the 2020 election which has since stalled. Page Six had reported that they were struggling to come up with the anticipated political scoops, with Biden's team in particular mistrustful of Nuzzi.

On Tuesday, DailyMail.com revealed close friends of RFK Jr's wife, actress Cheryl Hines, are expecting her to file for divorce in the wake of the controversy. 

In an exclusive interview, a Hines confidante said the television star, 59, was 'blindsided' by the scandal and had believed her husband's philandering was a thing of the past. 

The tryst between Kennedy and Nuzzi reportedly began after she profiled him in an unflattering article for New York Magazine in November 2023.

In her story, Nuzzi condemned Kennedy's 'filthy' car, the 'fear' driving his campaign, and how he tended to cause a 'simmering panic attack' in Washington. 

Nuzzi wrote how she went hiking with RFK Jr. near his $6.6 million home in Brentwood, California, which she acknowledged he shared with his wife Cheryl, best known as the star of Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

'Bobby, as he’s known to friends, walked through the French doors dressed for his morning hike in blue jeans, a black hoodie, Keens, and an unfriendly expression,' Nuzzi wrote.

She said she joined Kennedy in his van, which resembled one that 'survived a nuclear war' or 'the chicken-pox vaccine.'

'Rearview mirror smashed to bits, seat belts chewed off, cushions gnawed open, filth and dog hair covering every surface. The death machine smells so bad I thought I might pass out after about 15 seconds riding shotgun,' she wrote.

The unflattering depiction of Kennedy continued as Nuzzi described 'the astounding amount of waste produced by his dogs' on their hike, and recalled how he joyfully pointed out 'coyote s***' to her during the walk.

Although the pair insist their relationship was never physical, it did reportedly extend to steamy texting and Facetime sessions. 

Nuzzi was placed on placed on leave after she admitted to 'the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal', in a statement to DailyMail.com last month.