Dianna Russini out at The Athletic: What to know about reporter's resignation amid Mike Vrabel controversy

Dianna Russini out at The Athletic: What to know about reporter's resignation amid Mike Vrabel controversy originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . NFL reporter Dianna Russini is resigning from The Athletic following a recent controversy involving her being seen holding hands, hugging and spending time with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, The Associated Press reported Tuesday .

Russini and Vrabel previously provided statements to Page Six about photos of the two spending time together at a luxury hotel in Arizona, sparking speculation of whether the coach and reporter, who are both married, were involved in a relationship. The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reportedly conducted an internal investigation into Russini's conduct. She also shared a message to social media about her resignation on Tuesday.

Here's what to know about Russini's resignation from The Athletic following the rumors and reports about her spending time with Vrabel. MORE: Everything to know about the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel photos, speculation Why did Dianna Russini resign at The Athletic? The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Russini has resigned from her role as an NFL insider for The Athletic, sending a resignation letter to the executive editor of the outlet, Steven Ginsberg.

The New York Times had reportedly been looking into Russini's conduct following a Page Six report that showed her holding hands and hugging Vrabel. Russini said in her resignation letter that The Athletic originally backed her following the Page Six report. However, in the "days that followed," further speculation led to the internal investigation.