Dianna Russini quits The Athletic amid Mike Vrabel photo scandal

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic on Tuesday, less than a week after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her alongside New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort, triggering an internal investigation at the New York Times-owned outlet.

In a resignation letter addressed to Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg, Ms. Russini said she was departing not because she accepts wrongdoing but because she refuses to submit to a public inquiry that has already inflicted more damage than she is prepared to absorb. Her contract was set to expire June 30.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Ms. Russini wrote. She added that media commentators had engaged in speculation “simply unmoored from the facts” and that the frenzy was “fueled by repeated leaks.”

The Page Six photos, published last week, showed Ms. Russini and Mr. Vrabel at a Sedona hotel before the NFL league meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29. Both are married to other people. Ms. Russini said the images do not represent the full picture, noting a group of six people were present. Vrabel called any suggestive interpretation “laughable.”

The Athletic initially backed Ms. Russini without reservation — Mr. Ginsberg told the Post the photos “lacked essential context” — before launching a conduct review days later, according to ESPN. That investigation remains ongoing despite her exit, TMZ reported.

Ms. Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she served as a SportsCenter anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She also hosted a podcast and appeared on The Athletic’s video platform.