NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns amid photos with Mike Vrabel as her ex-boss says ‘new questions were raised’
‘The Athletic’ launched an investigation into Russini after she and Patriots head coach Vrabel — who are both married — were pictured together at a hotel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from her role at The Athletic after photos emerged last week of her holding hands and hugging New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a luxury resort in Arizona. Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 50 — who are both married — shared statements denying any wrongdoing hours after the images were published by Page Six . The photos were reportedly taken March 28 at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona.
On Saturday, The New York Times , which acquired The Athletic as its sports outlet in 2022 , confirmed that the nature of Russini’s relationship with Vrabel and her coverage were being reviewed . The Athletic ’s editorial guidelines require that their journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility, The Times added. Moments after Russini published her resignation letter, The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg shared a statement with Page Six saying the ongoing investigation sparked “new questions.
” “While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership at The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it,” Ginsberg’s statement read, Mike Vrabel, pictured here March 31, became the head coach of the New England Patriots in January 2025 (Reuters) The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from her role as NFL reporter (Getty) “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,” he continued. However, “additional information emerged” and “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” he wrote. Ginsberg acknowledged that Russini chose to resign and that the investigation into her conduct was ongoing.
In her resignation letter, Russini maintained that she covered the NFL “with professionalism and dedication. ” “I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she continued. Russini wrote that when the photos were first published, The Athletic “supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism.
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