NFL reporter Dianna Russini quit her job at The Athletic after images were published showing her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel cozied up at a resort.
The veteran reporter’s departure comes one week after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of the duo holding hands and hugging at a resort in Sedona, Arizona, ahead of the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix. Another photo shows the pair lounging poolside.
Both Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 50, have denied that they were engaged in anything romantic in the photos, but Russini still left her position at the New York Times-owned sports outlet on Thursday.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful,” Russini said in a letter sent Tuesday to Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg.
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts. Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete,” the letter continued.
Russini added that she had “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career,” the letter read.
Russini, a former longtime ESPN reporter, had previously said that the photos were simply visual evidence of how “reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
She has been married to her husband, Kevin, since 2020.
In a message to colleagues, Ginsberg acknowledged Russini’s departure and said The Athletic plans to “continue a standards review” of Russini’s reporting.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” he wrote.
“While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign. We will continue a standards review of Dianna’s work,” the message continued.
The Daily Beast reached out to the Patriots organization for comment.
Vrabel, a three-time Super Bowl champion, has denied that the photos insinuated anything scandalous.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told the Post. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 27 years. The couple shares two children.
