Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi has made startling claims about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in her upcoming book, alleging the prominent political figure continues to use psychedelic substances despite publicly maintaining decades of sobriety.
The Psychedelic Revelation
According to Nuzzi's interview with the New York Times, Kennedy admitted to her that he still uses psychedelics and specifically mentioned smoking dimethyltryptamine, the powerful hallucinogen commonly known as DMT. The journalist reveals this occurred during their alleged sexting relationship that ultimately cost Nuzzi her position as Washington correspondent at New York Magazine.
Despite Kennedy's long-standing claims of being sober for decades, Nuzzi writes that he openly discussed his ongoing psychedelic use with her. The book details how she responded by sharing her own use of Adderall, telling him she preferred uppers.
Intimate Details and Professional Consequences
The scandal extends beyond drug use revelations. Nuzzi's book, titled American Canto and scheduled for December 2 release, contains numerous intimate details about their relationship. She describes how the septuagenarian anti-vaccine activist used the pet name Livvy for her and reportedly expressed desire for the now-32-year-old journalist to bear his child.
The relationship proved professionally damaging for Nuzzi, leading to her departure from New York Magazine. While she never explicitly names Kennedy in her book, the context clearly identifies the Health and Human Services secretary as the subject of these revelations based on previously reported scandals.
Official Silence and Competing Publications
Requests for comment from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the secretary's alleged drug use have not been returned. The timing of these revelations coincides with another book release - Kennedy's wife, Cheryl Hines, has simultaneously published her own book titled Unscripted, now available on shelves.
The situation presents significant concerns given Kennedy's position as the nation's top health official while allegedly using controlled substances. The revelations about DMT use particularly raise questions about judgment and accountability within the highest levels of government health leadership.
