Cheryl Hines, the actress and spouse of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced questions regarding her husband’s purported “digital affair” with journalist Olivia Nuzzi in a podcast excerpt released Friday.
Hines, known for her role in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was a guest on the “Katie Miller Podcast” for an interview scheduled for full release next Tuesday. In a preview clip shared by the show, Miller inquired about Hines’ reaction to “rumors or speculation surrounding her marriage.”
“I believe one must always take the source into account, correct? That’s where I begin,” Hines shared with Miller. “And it concludes with a discussion with Bobby.”
Olivia Nuzzi, currently an editor at Vanity Fair, is set to release a book detailing her alleged emotional and digital connection with Kennedy. Nuzzi was embroiled in a media controversy in September 2024 after alleging an online romantic relationship with Kennedy while covering his presidential campaign for New York magazine. Nuzzi has asserted that the relationship remained “personal” and never became physical.
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Hines stated on Friday that she viewed Nuzzi’s allegations, when they surfaced, as “more chaos and rumors” amid the tumultuous period of her husband’s political endeavor. He withdrew his independent candidacy in August and endorsed eventual President Donald Trump.
“I am not acquainted with this individual,” Hines commented regarding the forthcoming book.
“I am unaware of their motivations. I could speculate, but I won’t. However, you are welcome to,” she remarked to Miller with a chuckle.
“Many individuals seek attention,” Miller observed.
“Indeed, that is a key lesson I learned during the campaign,” Hines responded. “There are those who genuinely desire involvement in the discourse and to be part of it. And they aspire to— I am not solely referring to this individual but to numerous others. They invest considerable effort in crafting content designed to capture attention, and success in this endeavor, regardless of its veracity, becomes a cause for celebration. It is a triumph for them.”
Nuzzi departed New York magazine following the emergence of the news, and her engagement to Politico’s chief Washington correspondent, Ryan Lizza, was terminated.
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Sources close to Hines and Kennedy informed The New York Post that the announcement of the upcoming tell-all “caught them off guard.”
“Bobby and Cheryl initially experienced marital difficulties last year when the affair was first revealed. She even contemplated divorce at one point, but they have since reconciled and were relieved that the scandal appeared to have subsided,” the insider disclosed to the Post.
“Cheryl ultimately and unequivocally accepted Bobby’s denial, without reservation, that he had an intimate relationship with Nuzzi,” the Post reported.
During an interview with Fox News Digital this week, Hines indicated that the heightened public scrutiny during her husband’s campaign only served to strengthen their marriage.
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She mentioned that Kennedy suggested they fabricate a separation during the campaign to alleviate pressure on their marriage, an idea she dismissed.
“It was a very kind suggestion, but no, I didn’t believe it would be beneficial,” she told Fox News Digital. “What needed to occur — and did occur — was that we grew closer. I understood the intention behind it, which is why I find the book so intriguing: you encounter these extraordinary situations that defy imagination.”
Hines has made several media appearances this month to promote her memoir, “Unscripted.”
Fox News’ Stephanie Giang-Paunon and Joseph A. Wilson contributed to this report.
