USA Today fires Crissy Froyd over Dianna Russini Twitter comments

USA Today fires Crissy Froyd over Dianna Russini Twitter comments originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Crissy Froyd said on April 14 that she knew the "potential consequences" of what she was about to say, so in less than 48 hours later, USA Today confirmed it had ended its contractor relationship with her, citing statements that did not reflect its "commitment to professionalism" or "principles of ethical conduct."

Froyd is a 26-year-old NFL reporter who had been with the outlet since 2015, had publicly attacked Dianna Russini on X, making claims about the veteran NFL insider that no credible outlet has independently verified.

The termination was announced on USA Today's official X account on April 16.

Froyd loses a decade at USA Today and still has no regrets

Russini, a former ESPN reporter who joined The Athletic in 2023, announced her resignation on April 14 after photos published by the New York Post on April 7 showed her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona.

Both denied any wrongdoing.

Froyd's reaction to Russini's published resignation letter was immediate:

"I'm sure you were told to submit this or that you'd get fired instead. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We know who you really are and what you've been up to for years. It does so much detriment to women in sports who have done things the right way," Froyd wrote.

In a follow-up statement, she told The Daily Caller that Russini had been "the worst kept secret in the NFL reporting world for a while" and drew a personal contrast. "I can honestly say I have never slept with a player or coach for professional gain," Froyd said. "Dianna cannot say the same. That's where the difference is."

But standing behind something emotionally and being able to back it up factually are not the same thing. Froyd's claims still sit unverified, and right now she's the only reporter in this story who lost her job over them.

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