Come February, Olivia Nuzzi might no longer still be employed by Vanity Fair. But for those who receive a copy of that month’s print issue, her name will still grace the masthead near the top, credited as the magazine’s West Coast editor, according to multiple people familiar with the matter and a screenshot reviewed by Status.

That potential schism is emblematic of the ongoing soap opera that has roiled the magazine, which this week saw Nuzzi’s controversial book “American Canto” debut to a torrent of brutal reviews, followed by a strange independent media tour that included a brief breakdown as she was pressed on her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a relatively sympathetic interview with The Bulwark's Tim Miller.

All indications are that the Condé Nast-owned Vanity Fair wants to rid itself of this messy situation as quietly as possible, and with Nuzzi’s contract concluding at the end of this month, as previously reported by Status, the two sides could, in theory, quietly part ways over the holidays. But in the magazine business, print issues are finalized months in advance of publication, hence why Vanity Fair readers can expect to see Nuzzi’s name in print long after her current contract expires.