A bombshell report has claimed that Dianna Russini ‘never provided sufficient evidence’ to dispel the affair allegations that led to her departure from The Athletic.
Russini announced on Tuesday that she had left the New York Times-owned publication amid bombshell claims she was having an affair with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, which both parties have denied.
Suggestive photos were published last week showing the female sports reporter, 43, and Vrabel, 50, hugging, lounging poolside and laughing together at a $2,500-per-night adults-only getaway in Sedona, Arizona.
Now, a bombshell ESPN report has shed light on the situation behind the scenes and claimed that Russini was given the chance to clear her name, but failed to do so.
The report began by alleging that Russini was approached ‘at home in Bergen County’ by ‘a reporter from the New York Post’, who told her that they had photographs of her and Vrabel together in Arizona.
The former Athletic reporter allegedly asserted that she and Vrabel had simply been in Arizona for NFL league meetings. However, after discovering the nature of the photos, she allegedly called up a ‘crisis communications expert’.
A bombshell report has claimed that Dianna Russini ‘never provided sufficient evidence’ to dispel the affair allegations that led to her departure from The Athletic.
Russini resigned from The Athletic amid claims she had an affair with NFL coach Mike Vrabel
Eventually, the photos went public. While the publication had initially stood by Russini, she was later asked to provide some form of evidence that backed up her case.
The report read: ‘While The Athletic had been quick to rush to her defense ahead of the story, executives asked for more evidence from Russini such as text messages about an airport pickup, screenshots of planning the trip or photos from a hike, the three people said. They said Russini never provided sufficient evidence.’
The bombshell report, which emerged on Friday afternoon, also claimed that Russini and Vrabel had coordinated their crisis response.
‘In the days before the story ran… Russini and Vrabel also communicated about how to respond to the Post, according to a person with knowledge of those discussions’.
According to the outlet, Russini and Vrabel eventually told the Post that the ‘photos didn’t accurately reflect their interaction’.
On top of ‘a veteran in crisis communications’, the report claims that Russini ‘appealed directly to the Times Company chief executive officer to plead her case’.
As The Daily Mail previously reported, the Times launched an investigation into the photos when contacted by Page Six after the Russini-Vrabel interaction in Sedona.
She was later placed on leave, The Daily Mail learned, before ultimately resigning on Tuesday. Her contract was reportedly set to expire at the end of June.
After discovering the nature of the photos that had been taken of her and Vrabel, Russini allegedly called up a ‘crisis communications expert’
The two visited a hotel, Ambiente, which is an adults-only venue near Sedona, Arizona
Meanwhile, Russini’s whirlwind week took another dramatic turn after she reportedly rescued an elderly man and his dog from a car crash in New Jersey on Wednesday.
According to Page Six, Russini was driving right behind the elderly man when a 17-year-old in a Honda Civic turned onto a street in suburban Wyckoff and collided with his Jeep.
The crash flipped the 73-year-old’s 4×4 onto its side and left him and his dog stuck in the vehicle, before Russini came to the rescue.
An eyewitness reportedly claimed that the NFL reporter ‘ran out and had a tall man put her on top of the Jeep to open the door’ before they pulled the driver and his dog out.
Police then arrived at the scene of the crash shortly after. The Daily Mail has contacted the Wyckoff Police Department for more information.
The Daily Mail also reached out for comment to Vrabel and Russini’s representatives when the news broke. Spokespeople for The New York Times and The Athletic declined to comment to the Daily Mail on the controversy last week.
