Sports journalist Dianna Russini has resigned from her job after Page Six published photos of her at a luxury hotel with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
The veteran NFL reporter shared the news in a letter to Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor of “The Athletic”, Page Six reports.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote in a letter obtained by Page Six.
“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.”
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini continued.
The journalist said she’s resigning to stop the speculation and damage surrounding the situation.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fuelled 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,” she wrote.
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on 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.”
Russini had been at “The Athletic” since 2023 and had the title of “Senior NFL Insider.”
Last month, she and Vrabel — who are both married to other people — were snapped at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, a boutique resort in exclusive pics obtained by Page Six.
Page Six earlier revealed an eyewitness said the pair had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant before lounging side-by-side in a hot tub.
The Page Six spy spotted Vrabel and Russini again that evening on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows where they hugged at sunset, weaving their fingers together.
The spy said they saw them briefly dancing.
Sources close to Vrabel and Russini had told Page Six that they were at the resort, a romantic favourite for honeymooners, with four other friends who were not visible in photos captured.
But three other eyewitnesses told Page Six they did not see anyone else with the pair.
Asked if the Pats coach visited the hotel with a group of friends, one eyewitness said: “No, he was with a girl.”
And the sequence of photographs obtained by Page Six taken at various points during the day show only Vrabel and Russini.
Vrabel, who took over as the Pats’ coach in January 2025 and took the team to the Super Bowl that year, told Page Six Tuesday: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
And Russini said: “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.”
Russini married Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt in 2020. They have two children.
Vrabel and wife Jen reportedly met as student athletes at Ohio State University and celebrated 25 years of marriage in 2024. They have two sons, one of whom, Tyler, briefly played for the Atlanta Falcons.
– This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.
