SAT .Cheryl Hines speaks out about her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi: “Um… It’s really too much!”

• Cheryl Hines is speaking out about her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, alleged sexting affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi during his 2024 presidential campaign
• “It was a lot,” the actress said of receiving the news about her husband of 11 years
• Nuzzi was put on leave by New York magazine following the scandal, but recently resurfaced with a new job in journalism and plans to release a tell-all book

Cheryl Hines is speaking out about her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s, alleged sexting affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi, just weeks after Nuzzi announced she’ll be telling all in an upcoming book.

 In a sneak peek of her upcoming appearance on The Kate Miller Podcast, obtained by Politico Playbook, Hines shared how she learned of the sexting scandal, which reportedly happened while Nuzzi was covering RFK Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign for New York magazine.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

“Bobby had been running for president and it was an exhausting year-and-a-half of headlines and rumors and articles and chaos,” the Curb Your Enthusiasm star recalled. “And at that time, I thought, ‘Okay, this is more chaos and more rumors.’ And, um, it was a lot.”

Nuzzi was placed on leave following the controversy and has remained out of the public eye since. However, she recently returned to journalism with a new job at Vanity Fair and the announcement of her upcoming tell-all.

When asked about the scandal on the podcast, Hines, 60, who has been married to Kennedy, 71, since 2014, brushed it off, taking a few subtle shots at Nuzzi, 32.

“I think you always have to consider the source, right? So that’s where I start,” she said. “And then it ends with a conversation with Bobby.”

“I don’t know this person. Don’t know their intentions,” she said of Nuzzi. “I could guess, but I won’t. But you can if you want.”Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cheryl Hines at a campaign event in Oakland on March 26, 2024.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

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After her relationship with RFK Jr. went public in September 2024, Nuzzi shared a statement to PEOPLE admitting that “the nature of some communication” between herself and “a former reporting subject turned personal,” though she added that she “did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source” during that time. 

“The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict,” she said. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”

The following month, a source told PEOPLE that Hines had “barely spoken” to Kennedy, 71, following the news going public.

“She’s embarrassed because he got caught,” the source said.

In an August 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Hines and Kennedy refused to comment on the sexting scandal directly, but presented a united front as Hines tiptoed around the subject.

“I don’t think there’s any point to going through every rumor and headline to try to defend or explain it,” the actress said. “Bobby and I talk about everything, so that’s how we move through everything, and we’re really good friends, and we trust each other.”

In her own recently published memoir, Unscripted, Hines paints her marriage in a positive light.

“One would deduce that we love each other and are still married and whatever we’ve been through is behind us,” she said.

Hollywood, 2025 — Actress Cheryl Hines finally broke her silence after news broke that her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was allegedly sexting with political journalist Olivia Nuzzi, who interviewed him during the US presidential campaign.

💥 “Um… It was a lot,” Cheryl said in the shocking interview

On Friday morning TV, Cheryl admitted:

“I’m not going to pretend it was easy… Um, it was a lot. I had to take a few deep breaths to digest it all.”

She said she learned about it from the media before Kennedy Jr. told her — and admitted to having “a night of tears and silence.” However, Cheryl also insisted she “didn’t want to make a decision while emotions were running high.”

🔥 Scandal erupts amid Kennedy Jr.’s political run

Leaked text messages between RFK Jr. and Olivia Nuzzi reportedly contain intimate, even sexually explicit, conversations during his campaign.
Nuzzi — a prominent New York Magazine writer — was accused of breaching professional ethics by maintaining an “excessively close” relationship with the political figure she covered.

Kennedy Jr., meanwhile, did not deny the allegations outright, but said “it was misinterpreted as sensationalism.”

💬 Cheryl Hines: “I’m a person of truth – and I need time”

The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress said she is trying to balance her personal feelings with respect for her family:

“I’m married to a very influential person, but I’m still a woman. I have a heart, I get hurt, and I need time to understand what’s really going on.”

Cheryl received support from many fans after this emotional statement. The hashtag #TeamCheryl quickly became the top trending topic on X (Twitter), with thousands of comments praising her calm and courage amid the media storm.

💔 Once again, politics and personal life collide

This scandal not only shook RFK Jr.’s campaign, but also raised questions about the boundaries between power, journalistic ethics and marital loyalty.

When asked if she had forgiven her husband, Cheryl simply smiled: “I believe in love… but I also believe in honesty. My answer will come later.”