Olivia Nuzzi's 'blackmailing' ex Ryan Lizza breaks cover after being exposed as source of RFK Jr 'affair' scandal

New York Magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi's ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza was seen for the first time since he was exposed as the source of her RFK Jr. affair scandal - as she requests protection by the police. 

Nuzzi, 31 - who was placed on leave from the magazine last month after her 'emotional' affair with RFK Jr. broke - has now requested police guards to accompany her while she goes to pick up her things from Lizza, according to CNN. 

A judge granted the order on Tuesday, and gave her a temporary no-contact order against her ex-fiancé. 

Nuzzi has accused Lizza of trying to 'blackmail her back into a relationship with him and punish her when she wouldn’t acquiesce,' CNN reported.

She accused the Politico reporter, who has taken a leave of absence from the publication, of stealing her electronic devices to gain access to personal information about her affair with Kennedy before going to the media with the 'doctored' information. The 31-year-old also accuses her ex of tipping off her publication last month.

On Wednesday, Lizza was seen outside his Washington DC apartment building holding a iced matcha latte and a hot cup of coffee from Tatte. 

The journalist appeared rather tense as he walked back to his apartment, while he tried to keep a low profile in a simple outfit of black pants, a blue t-shirt, a black ballcap, and tan Birkenstocks.  

He kept a straight face as he stared down the photographer during his coffee run.  

His ex, Nuzzi, claimed he had leaked details about her 'emotional and digital affair' with the former presidential candidate as part of an elaborate blackmailing scheme - which he denies. 

Nuzzi was placed on leave from the magazine after admitting to the romance with Kennedy, where she is said to have engaged in steamy sexting sessions and had 'incredible' Facetime sex. 

The New York Magazine journalist lodged a court filing against Lizza in a Washington DC court after she claimed he 'explicitly threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation—a threat he has since carried out.'

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.'

Another ex of Nuzzi's, Keith Olbermann, took to X on Tuesday to make an 'interesting' revelation about the New York Magazine writer, claiming she used to complain about Lizza 'stalking' her before they got together. 

'To be the original boyfriend to whom she used to say "every time I go to DC this creepy guy Lizza stalks me,"' he wrote. 

Olbermann also shared a 2017 Politico article that revealed Lizza had been fired from the New Yorker over alleged 'improper sexual conduct.' 

'Btw,' he simply captioned the post. 

At the time, Lizza called the New Yorker's move to separate ties with him a 'terrible mistake' and claimed the relationship in question was 'respectful.' 

'The New Yorker was unable to cite any company policy that was violated,' he said at the time. 'I love The New Yorker, my home for the last decade, and I have the highest regard for the people who work there. But this decision, which was made hastily and without a full investigation of the relevant facts, was a terrible mistake.' 

Olbermann also retweeted a post about Lizza's leave of absence with a Seinfeld gif of Jerry saying: 'That's a shame.'   

Last week, the former MSNBC star said he and Nuzzi dated for three years and the pair shared 'dogs and tattoos and rings' before the romance eventually sizzled out, Olbermann claimed on his podcast Countdown. 

The pair started dating when Olbermann was 55 and Nuzzi was 21.  

'Eventually and inevitably this story will get around to me because long ago she and I lived together,' he said on the show. 'Nearly all of the relationship was surprisingly mundane.'

Olbermann admitted Nuzzi 'did some weird things during the three years this lasted' but that he also 'did some weird things.'

He also claimed 'her parents were not the best role models' and 'sometimes she so missed the mark on the consequences of her actions.'

However, Olbermann added that, despite claims by RFK Jr., 'nothing suggests Olivia would have kept sending a guy nude photos unless he wanted them.'

Olbermann said he hadn't spoken to his ex since the breakup and couldn't defend any of her journalistic choices.

The never-married Olbermann - who has previously dated Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and MSNBC star Katy Tur - criticized both Nuzzi and RFK Jr. on social media when the affair broke.

He claimed Kennedy's attempts to investigate Nuzzi are reprehensible, though he made no bones about how he felt what she did was wrong.

'This psychopath and serial woman chaser @RobertKennedyJr is talking about having @Olivianuzzi ARRESTED? I excuse none of her conduct but the dynamic just changed here.'

Olbermann continued: 'F*** him. He's an utterly irresponsible pile of s***. You participate in these sexts and they become a problem, you call her boss. Faster than 10 months later.'

It comes as Kennedy is reportedly considering suing Nuzzi over the pornographic content she sent to him.

Kennedy's wife, Cheryl Hines, is reportedly considering a divorce from her long-time husband after being 'blindsided' by the affair. 

'Cheryl found ten years of marriage with Bobby to be 'spicier and a lot of laughs,' the source, a longtime friend, told DailyMail.com.

'She adored being a member of America's royal family, and having the famous Kennedy name attached to hers, but now she's thoroughly embarrassed and furious about his adulterous actions and they believe she wants out.'

The insider added: 'Cheryl was always very aware that Bobby had a long history of womanizing. She herself had become very publicly involved with him when he was still married to his second wife, so his playing around wasn't anything new to her.

'However, she firmly believed Bobby, in his seventh decade and with political aspirations, finally had his sex demons under control, and appeared settled down in their seemingly bucolic southern California domestic life.

'But she now feels totally blindsided and humiliated. His affair with that woman, Olivia Nuzzi, has wreaked havoc on their marriage.'

The journalist's affair with the politician comes after she was said to be initially repulsed by him after he tried to grab her hand in an interview, sources said. 

The pair have acknowledged that they first met while Nuzzi was profiling the wannabe politician for New York Magazine.

Nuzzi admitted that communications between the two 'turned personal,' but denied things were ever physical.

However, sources have disputed her narrative.

'Olivia told multiple people that they told each other they loved each other [over the phone] every time they talked,' an insider added.

Their relationship began when Nuzzi met the married Kennedy scion at his Brentwood home and the two went hiking as part of the profile.

Multiple sources said that RFK Jr. made an attempt to grab Nuzzi's arm or hold her hand, which disgusted her and prompted her to bring up her then-fiancé.

Nuzzi later reportedly recounted details of the hand-holding gesture to a colleague, who claimed she's had a similar experience with RFK Jr and deemed it 'creepy', the New York Post reports.

But the former presidential candidate reportedly later explained his actions by stating he wanted to tell Nuzzi something but wasn't sure how freely he could speak.

And in the weeks following the initial interview, RFK Jr. is said to have 'love-bombed' Nuzzi.

'He’s done it to lots of women — claimed he can’t live without them. He told Olivia they’d be together after the election,' a source said.

Nuzzi is said to have then become 'infatuated' with the former presidential hopeful, with those close to her reportedly noting a change in her demeanor while they were in contact.

It is understood that Lizza found out about the affair in August. The pair had been engaged since 2022. 

They are expected back in court on October 15.