The revelation that journalist Olivia Nuzzi is preparing to publish a tell-all memoir about her alleged relationship with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sent shockwaves through the Kennedy household, leaving both the 71-year-old political figure and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, reeling from the unexpected announcement. Sources close to the couple indicate the news, which surfaced around Tuesday, October 21, 2025, caught them completely off guard and has reopened wounds from a scandal they believed had faded from public consciousness.
An insider revealed to The Post that the couple had been blindsided by Nuzzi’s literary project and now find themselves in a state of shock and distress. The source indicated that Kennedy and Hines, who have been married since 2014, fear the revelations that may emerge from the secretly penned memoir, titled “American Canto,” which is reportedly scheduled for release on December 2, 2025.
The controversy dates back to September 2024, when Nuzzi, then a political reporter for New York magazine, publicly acknowledged that the nature of her communications with Kennedy had turned personal during his 2024 presidential campaign. While she maintained the relationship was never physical, the admission triggered a media firestorm that placed enormous strain on the Kennedy marriage. According to insiders, Hines initially went through what they described as marital hell and even contemplated divorce for a time before eventually accepting her husband’s denial of any improper relationship.
Now, roughly a year later, Hines has broken her silence on the matter in a revealing interview on The Katie Miller Podcast, recorded shortly before Friday, October 24, 2025. In the candid conversation, the 60-year-old Curb Your Enthusiasm star took subtle jabs at Nuzzi while explaining her decision to stand by her husband. “I think you always have to consider the source, right?” Hines stated during the podcast appearance. “So that’s where I start. And then it ends with a conversation with Bobby.”
Hines acknowledged that when the scandal first erupted, she and Kennedy had already endured an exhausting year and a half of headlines, rumors, and chaos related to his presidential campaign. She characterized the sexting allegations as simply more of the same tumult they had been navigating. The actress emphasized that the timing was particularly difficult as she had just lost her nephew when the story broke, making the situation even more overwhelming. She described not knowing Nuzzi personally and having no understanding of her intentions, though she stopped short of speculating about the journalist’s motivations.
The actress suggested that one lesson learned during the campaign was recognizing how some individuals seek to insert themselves into public conversations regardless of truth or consequences. She noted that whether stories are accurate or fabricated matters little to those seeking attention, as getting people talking represents success for them. Hines expressed her philosophy about responding to such situations, explaining that engaging with every rumor drags her into what she calls low vibrations, and her goal is to maintain high vibrations instead.
Throughout the ordeal, Kennedy has maintained through his spokesperson that he only met Nuzzi once for an interview she requested, which resulted in what he described as a hit piece. However, Nuzzi’s forthcoming memoir reportedly contains sexually charged messages she allegedly received from the health secretary. Her ex-fiancé, former Politico journalist Ryan Lizza, added fuel to the controversy by claiming in court filings that Kennedy wanted to possess, control, and impregnate Nuzzi. Lizza further alleged that Nuzzi privately described Kennedy as a sex addict and characterized their relationship as toxic, unhealthy, and psychotic.
Nuzzi was placed on leave by New York magazine following the scandal and the publication conducted a review through the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine. While investigators found no signs of bias or inaccuracies in her reporting, both parties agreed to part ways in October 2024. Nuzzi has since joined Vanity Fair as West Coast Editor and spent approximately the past year in Los Angeles working on her memoir, which will cover not only her relationship with Kennedy but also her decade of political reporting.
Publishing sources familiar with the project suggest the competing narratives between Hines and Nuzzi will generate significant public interest, particularly given Kennedy’s long history and prominent political family background. Depending on the explosive nature of Nuzzi’s allegations, speculation has emerged that the revelations could potentially impact Kennedy’s position in the Trump administration, though no official statements regarding his cabinet status have been made.
Meanwhile, Hines has been actively promoting her own memoir, Unscripted, which is scheduled for release on November 11, 2025. In that book, she reportedly paints her marriage in a positive light, suggesting the couple has moved past their difficulties. In her recent podcast appearance, she maintained that she and Kennedy communicate about everything, characterizing their relationship as one built on friendship and trust despite the public scrutiny they have endured.
