Political journalist Olivia Nuzzi’s new book, “American Canto,” sold just 1,165 copies during its first week of release, according to Circana BookScan, amid public scrutiny over her alleged affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Nuzzi became embroiled in controversy last year when it was revealed she had engaged in a digital relationship with Kennedy after profiling him for New York Magazine in 2023. Following the allegations, she left the publication. Her former fiancé, Ryan Lizza, has also accused her of an affair with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, which she denies.
During her book tour, Nuzzi addressed the issue, stating: “I had f—ed up. I did something wrong. Those ethics rules exist for a reason. They’re very good rules, and I had violated that.” She added that she took her actions seriously and recognized the importance of accountability, saying: “It struck me that it’s not like you just wake up one day, and you make a mistake… That it had to have been many imperceptible errors that contributed to really just a malformed perspective that led to that type of mistake.”
Last week, Vanity Fair announced that Nuzzi, who joined the magazine as its West Coast editor in September, would be leaving at the end of the year.
