Condé’s Nuzzi Conundrum

On Friday, after nearly a week of silence, a Vanity Fair spokesperson finally issued a public comment on the Olivia Nuzzi fiasco, acknowledging that the magazine is reviewing the latest allegations against her, leveled by her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza. “We were taken by surprise,” the spokesperson told Status of the developing situation, “and we are looking at all the facts.”

The next day, Lizza dropped the second part of his Substack series, which included more salacious details regarding Nuzzi’s alleged affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and only further extended the seemingly neverending media cycle of tabloid-esque gossip, which has unfolded like a soap opera under the guise of discourse about journalistic ethics.

The slow drip of news surrounding the 32-year-old—who Vanity Fair named its West Coast editor in September, before publishing an excerpt of her upcoming book “American Canto” has seemingly paralyzed the Condé Nast publication. While Nuzzi obviously came with some very public baggage, the response by Vanity Fair has been hobbled by the lack of clarity over what revelations might be coming next, raising questions about her future.

Internally at the magazine, newly minted editorial director Mark Guiducci has addressed the situation to staffers twice, once during a champagne toast to celebrate the launch of the annual Hollywood issue—Guiducci’s first official edition of the magazine since taking over in June. Then, on Thursday, he called a team meeting, as previously reported by Breaker, explaining how he had come to meet Nuzzi and downplaying the allegations facing the former star political reporter, stating that they were difficult to investigate because they occurred while she was employed elsewhere. In an attempt to calm any tensions, Guiducci provided his personal phone number to staffers to reach out with additional questions.

But it might be difficult for Nuzzi to turn this saga around when some inside Vanity Fair already feel that she hasn’t exactly pulled her own weight as anticipated. While Nuzzi made extensive efforts to edit her own excerpt featured in the most recent issue and brought in some new writers, some internally noted her unwillingness to attend day-to-day meetings. Two people told Status that one of her other editing assignments for the high-profile issue was not completed.

A spokesperson for Nuzzi declined to comment for this story.

As reports about Nuzzi’s past relationships continue to drip out, it will certainly be a challenge for Guiducci to justify her value to the staff, who haven’t seen her make tangible contributions to the magazine but have weathered the news storm she has brought through 1 World Trade Center.

And while it’s unclear what Condé Nast top brass Anna Wintour and Roger Lynch think of the situation, it’s hard to imagine they’re thrilled that Guiducci has plunged the glossy magazine into major controversy only months into his tenure. According to one person familiar, Wintour—who recently passed the reins at Vogue to Chloe Malle but remains Condé’s chief content boss—has been helpful to Guiducci in navigating the imbroglio, a role she often plays for top editors across Condé’s publications.

The bigger question is how long the company will be willing to withstand the negative news cycle and public gibes associated with its credibility, especially with Lizza continuing to release tantalizing tidbits to feed the social media circus.

Those second-guessing the magazine’s editorial judgment, meanwhile, may have more fodder when they get their hands on a copy of the print edition of the Hollywood issue, which includes an abstract nude portrait of Nuzzi by sketch artist Isabelle Brourman, Status has learned from multiple people familiar. Brourman previously worked with Nuzzi multiple times at New York Magazine, including when Nuzzi visited Mar-a-Lago after the assassination attempt on Trump last year.

Meanwhile, nearly everyone in this story has proved themselves at one point or another to be an unreliable narrator, including Lizza, who has his own ax to grind against Condé Nast, after being fired by the New Yorker in 2017 over “improper sexual conduct.” As for Nuzzi, her attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, provided a very lawyerly response when he told The New York Times that the affair detailed in “American Canto” was the “only instance in her long career as a journalist in which she had an improper relationship with someone she was covering,” which seemingly provides some wiggle room about timing. One person familiar with the forthcoming book said she writes at length about her penchant for lying.

At Vanity Fair, despite her cushy title, Nuzzi is under contract, not a full-time employee of Condé Nast—a common structure across the company for certain heavy hitters. She isn’t required to go into the office or subject to certain human resource regulations, an additional point of friction among full-time staffers. When asked whether Nuzzi would be suspended or left off assignments as the drama continues to spill out, a spokesperson declined comment, citing a policy of not discussing personnel matters.

When Nuzzi’s relationship with Kennedy was initially uncovered last year by Status, New York Magazine took roughly a month to formally cut ties with her.

It’s possible Vanity Fair could simply try to wait the matter out. One person familiar with Nuzzi noted that her current contract may only run through the end of this year, meaning the magazine could let it quietly expire over the holidays.

Based on the level of interest in the story so far, that sounds more like wishful thinking than a viable plan.

The latest episode of Power Lines is out.

This week, we discuss Condé Nast’s handling of the latest Olivia Nuzzi revelation, the bids for Warner Bros. Discovery, business leaders féting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, Ben Shapiro’s high-dollar play for a Golden Globes award, Fox News’ coverage of the Epstein Files, and more.

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