Married NFL Reporter Dianna Russini Resigns After Photo Scandal with Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel; Dianna Russini
Credit: Dylan Buell/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini is resigning from her job, after photos were published that showed her with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
• “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she began in a statement to her employer, obtained by the AP
• Russini and Vrabel have denied any wrongdoing

Dianna Russini has resigned from her job at The Athletic, one week after published photos showed her hugging and holding hands with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

Russini, a longtime NFL reporter, announced she would leave the outlet on Tuesday, April 14 in a letter sent to Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg and obtained by the Associated Press.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote, per the AP. “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.”

She continued, “In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.”

Dianna Russini interviewing Jared Goff in Dec. 2025
Credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty

Russini concluded, “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have 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.”

In seven photos published by the New York Post on Tuesday, April 7, Russini, 43, was seen interacting with Vrabel, 50, at the Ambiente Sedona resort in Arizona. In various images, the two held hands, hugged and sat poolside.

After the photos were published both Russini and Vrabel, who are separately married, denied any wrongdoing.

"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel told the New York Post on Tuesday, April 7. "This doesn’t deserve any further response."

Russini asserted to the Post that she was doing her job as a beat reporter.

"The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues," Russini told the outlet.

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Russini was being investigated by The Athletic (which is owned by the Times) for her conduct with Vrabel, citing a source familiar with the inquiry.

A representative with The Athletic did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional comment.

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