A friend of Dianna Russini has given insight into how the NFL insider is feeling after her resignation from The Athletic following allegations she was having an affair with Mike Vrabel.
Suggestive photos were published last week showing New England Patriots coach Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, hugging, lounging poolside and laughing together at a $2,500-per-night getaway in Sedona, Arizona.
Vrabel, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, and Russini, a top reporter for The Athletic before she resigned this week, are married to other people. They both share two sons with their respective spouses.
Fox Sports Radio host Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner claimed last week he would immediately hire her if she left The Athletic.
He said: ‘This entire industry is littered with conflicts of interest. Every single take that anyone makes is littered in conflict of interest. I don’t want to hear about it.
‘I spoke to her, okay. She’s going through a very difficult time. She’s going to survive this. And again, anyone who wants to get rid of her, I will hire her in two seconds.’
Fox Sports Radio host Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner said he’d hire Dianna Russini in ‘two seconds’
Mike Vrabel (L) and Russini (R) are denying suggestions that they’re having an affair
Russini and Weiner have worked together in the past. She was a recurring guest on his previous program, ‘The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz’.
Both Russini and Vrabel issued statements confirming the March 28 interaction but have denied any improper conduct, with Vrabel specifically calling the story ‘laughable.’
Russini told Page Six she and Vrabel were at the resort with larger groups of people.
But on Tuesday, Russini resigned from The Athletic, while standing behind all of her work from her 15-year career at the publication, ESPN, and other outlets.
A defiant Russini insisted that her resignation does not mean she crossed the line with Vrabel.
‘I do so [resign] 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,’ she said.
‘I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published.
‘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.’
Days after the photos emerged, The Athletic announced it was reinvestigating Russini and that she would be sidelined during that process.
A defiant Russini has insisted her resignation does not mean she crossed the line with Vrabel
Executive editor Steven Ginsberg’s message to Athletic reporters on Tuesday said: ‘While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment we learned about it.
‘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.
‘As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.
‘While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign. We will continue a standards review of Dianna’s work.’
