Dianna Russini's Coworkers Break Silence on Mike Vrabel Controversy
Dianna Russini's coworkers at The Athletic are reportedly unhappy with how her bosses have handled the controversy involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Athletic, which is owned by the New York Times, placed Dianna Russini on leave after photos surfaced of her hanging out with Vrabel at a luxurious adults-only hotel in Sedona, Arizona.
Someone took images of the two holding hands, hugging and hanging out by a pool. The photos were taken on March 28, the day before the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix began.
Natalie Korach of Status spoke to several of Russini's colleagues at The Athletic. Some of them took issue with how the outlet's executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, quickly came to Russini's defense after the images were released to the public.
Ginsberg Page Six that the "photos are misleading and lack essential context." Ginsberg said the outlet is "proud to have" Russini. Days later, the 43-year-old NFL insider was placed on leave.
More From Korach:
"Staffers inside both The Times and The Athletic expressed concern over the paper’s judgment on the matter, with one telling Status their handling of the situation was “unnecessarily messy.” Another questioned how Ginsberg could omit any mention of the investigation in his initial statement if the probe had indeed started immediately, calling it “reckless” and “premature,” or worse, “intentionally sneaky.”
Per Page Six, Vrabel said it was an "innocent interaction." In her statement to the outlet, Russini said, "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day."
Dianna Russini's Expires In August
(Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage)
Russini left her role at ESPN in the summer of 2023 to become an insider at The Athletic. The company, which launched in 2016, had also recruited other prominent NFL journalists like Jeff Howe, Mike Sando, Dane Brugler and Ted Nguyen.
Her contract with The Athletic is set to expire this summer. If the company decides to move on from Russini, they could do so without officially terminating her contract.
Russini has been married to Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020, and they have two sons. Vrabel married his wife, Jen, in 1999. They also have two sons.