The business journalist who abandoned her husband and job to pursue a relationship with disgraced “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli has defended New York magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi, who is currently embroiled in an alleged sexting scandal involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Christie Smythe made the comment on Twitter, questioning whether or not the publication had a hand in encouraging the supposed emotional affair between Nuzzi and Kennedy for scoops.
Smythe took to social media, expressing frustration with women being criticized for actions that would be considered inconsequential if committed by men. She argued that while it may have been a conflict of interest for Nuzzi not to disclose her personal relationship with Kennedy, the magazine could have quietly nudged things along as they wanted the scoops from their reporter.
In response to Smythe’s comments, New York magazine has not yet issued any statement or comment on the matter. Olivia Nuzzi, 31, was placed on leave from her role as a politics reporter at the publication after admitting to having a “personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign.” It was later revealed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now 70 years old, was the subject of Nuzzi’s profile in New York magazine back in the fall of 2023.
Sources informed The Post that Nuzzi and Kennedy were allegedly sexting earlier this year, although neither party has confirmed or denied the relationship publicly. Smythe herself faced controversy when she wrote about leaving her husband and job at Bloomberg News to pursue a relationship with Martin Shkreli in Elle magazine back in 2020.
Smythe met Shkreli in 2015, while working as a journalist for Bloomberg covering his arrest for securities fraud. In 2017, Shkreli was convicted and spent several years behind bars for his crimes. Smythe maintained that their relationship remained platonic until she began visiting him in prison in 2018.
Despite the backlash from the media establishment and her own husband, Smythe went on to develop a serious relationship with Shkreli, even discussing the possibility of having a child together. However, following the publication of her Elle piece detailing their relationship, Shkreli broke things off via his lawyer, stating that he could not accept such personal details being made public.
Despite their split, Smythe still expressed feelings for Shkreli and mentioned hoping to see him after his early release from prison in 2022. In the meantime, neither Olivia Nuzzi nor Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have publicly confirmed their alleged sexting relationship. Nuzzi did acknowledge that there were “communications between myself and a former reporting subject” that turned personal but denied any physical aspect to their interactions.
Politico reporter Ryan Lizza confirmed his split from Nuzzi in a statement on Friday, stating that due to their connection, he will not be involved in any coverage of Kennedy at POLITICO. A spokesperson for Kennedy denied the rumors, saying that the married father of six only met Olivia Nuzzi once when she profiled him for New York magazine last fall.
