By Isabella Simonetti
Dianna Russini, a senior NFL reporter at the Athletic, resigned from the sports publication Tuesday after photos of her with the head coach of the New England Patriots prompted questions about her professional conduct.
The New York Post's Page Six published photos last week that it said were of Russini and Coach Mike Vrabel at a hotel in Arizona. In some of the photos, the pair were embracing and lounging in their swimsuits.
The Athletic then launched an investigation of Russini's conduct.
Russini, who joined the Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, posted her resignation letter on X. The Athletic sent a message to its staff confirming her departure.
"You and I have already publicly addressed the recent attacks against me, and I have nothing to add publicly to what we have said," Russini said in her letter to the Athletic's executive editor, Steven Ginsberg. "I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career and I stand behind every story I have ever published."
She expressed gratitude that the Athletic stood by her after the photos were released, but said speculation "that is simply unmoored from the facts" has escalated the situation. "I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept," she said.
The Athletic is owned by the New York Times. News Corp is the parent company to the New York Post and Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
Russini said she would step aside now, before her current contract expires June 30. "I do so 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 wrote.
Russini declined to comment beyond her resignation letter.
Ginsberg acknowledged Russini's resignation in a message to the Athletic's staff, saying that the publication is taking the matter seriously.
"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," he wrote. "As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation."
He said the Athletic's review of Russini's work will continue.
Write to Isabella Simonetti at isabella.simonetti@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 14, 2026 18:06 ET (22:06 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments