USA Today NFL reporter Crissy Froyd has been fired after publicly celebrating the resignation of Dianna Russini from The Athletic.
Russini, 43, who worked as a senior NFL insider for the sports outlet, announced Tuesday that she was stepping down from her position after pictures of her holding hands with New England Patriots’ head coach, Mike Vrabel, 50, were published. Both individuals — who are married — have shared statements denying any wrongdoing.
In the wake of her resignation, Froyd, a USA Today Sports contractor, slammed Russini on X.
“I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired instead,” Froyd wrote. “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.”
Days later, USA Today Sports announced it was ending its contractor relationship with Froyd, “effective immediately.” “Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct,” the outlet said in a message shared on social media.
Crissy has since spoken out about her firing, standing by her original statements.
“I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it. If you want to talk, my messages are open. My email is operative, too. I feel I’ve been very transparent and did nothing wrong,” she said on X. “Be bold and speak out. Will it make a martyr out of you? Maybe. But some things are worth it and some are not. This was.”
The Independent has contacted Russini’s representative for comment.
The photos of Russini and Vrabel holding hands and hugging were reportedly taken March 28 at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona, Arizona.
They were later obtained by Page Six and published earlier this month. Within hours of the pictures going public, Russini told the outlet in a statement: “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.”
Vrabel added in a separate statement: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The New York Times, which acquired The Athletic in 2022, launched an investigation into the nature of the photos, reiterating that its editorial guidelines require that its journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility.
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In her resignation letter, Russini maintained that she covered the NFL “with professionalism and dedication.”
“I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she said.
Russini wrote that when the photos were first published, The Athletic “supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful.”
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” she continued. “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.”
Russini, who joined The Athletic in 2023, concluded that she would step down from her position ahead of her contract’s expiration date of June 30.
“I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode,” she wrote, “but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
