Dr. Mehmet Oz And His Wife Have A Strange Past With The Woman Who Allegedly Had An Affair With RFK Jr

As Americans grapple with the prospect of yet another Hollywood star holding political power, more peculiar details have emerged about Dr. Mehmet Oz, aka Dr. Oz, Donald Trump's latest pick for the healthcare sector. On November 19, 2024, the president-elect announced in a statement that he had selected Dr. Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Oz gained nationwide fame on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and then went on to host his own show before quitting the entertainment industry to campaign for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. However, it's not the celebrity doctor's brief foray into politics that's interesting, but his connection to Olivia Nuzzi, the woman in the middle of the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. affair scandal. 

In case you missed it, Nuzzi, a reporter for New York Magazine, stirred up a huge amount of controversy in September 2024 when she acknowledged committing an ethical violation by continuing to report on the campaign despite having a "personal relationship" with RFK Jr. Nuzzi's connection to Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa Oz, meanwhile, dates back to 2021, when she attempted to contact him for a story during his Senate run. After failing to reach him at his office, Nuzzi phoned his wife using their public contact details. Mrs. Oz answered but made it crystal clear that she was uninterested in speaking to the intrepid reporter. After a curt response to Nuzzi's introduction, Lisa wished her a nice day and hung up, unaware the call hadn't fully disconnected, allowing Nuzzi to hear every bit of the ensuing conversation. 

As she detailed in an article for New York Magazine, for the following few minutes, Olivia Nuzzi overheard Lisa and Dr. Mehmet Oz discussing her at length. Among other things, the couple accused her of lying about having an appointment — an allegation Nuzzi denies — and repeatedly referred to her as "this f*****g girl reporter." But beyond the vitriol directed at her, the journalist picked up on something else: The Ozes were desperately afraid of not being accepted by the Republican Party. Dr. Oz made this abundantly clear as he fretted over an interview Nuzzi had recently conducted with their friend Michelle Bouchard. "Michelle said stuff she shouldn't have said. [...] That I was going to be the next leader of the Republican Party," he complained. 

Nuzzi speculated that Dr. Oz's fear stemmed from his background, which is wildly different to other conservatives. As a pro-life Muslim who served in the Turkish army, the celebrity doctor was worried that he wouldn't be seen as a good fit for the GOP and the former talk show host didn't want to ruffle any feathers. Eventually, Dr. Oz and his wife began to argue until they stepped out of the car, effectively ending the reporter's eavesdropping. Six months after Nuzzi's story was published, Dr. Oz won the Republican primary after earning Donald Trump's endorsement. He, however, lost the November 2022 election to John Fetterman. Dr. Oz's defeat in Pennsylvania flipped the seat and made it even harder for Republicans to gain control of the Senate.