Is Dianna Russini Guilty? The Athletic Finally Releases Results of Investigation into Its Reporter and Mike Vrabel Relationship

The Athletic has wrapped up its investigation into former reporter Dianna Russini, concluding that she failed to follow some of the outlet’s standards but found only limited evidence that her reporting on Mike Vrabel was biased.

Russini resigned from the New York Times-owned company days after bombshell photos surfaced showing her with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona in March. More details came to light in the weeks that followed, prompting further questions about the nature of their relationship and whether it raised ethical concerns given Russini’s role as an NFL insider. However, Russini did not disclose her relationship with Vrabel after the revelation.

Found Guilty

The investigation did not determine the nature of Russini and Vrabel’s relationship. Both have denied having an affair or cheating on their respective partners, although Vrabel later apologized for his “actions.”

The report concluded that Russini’s relationship with Vrabel violated The Athletic’s editorial standards.

“Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards. Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed.

“Specifically, when it comes to The Athletic’s standards, Russini was noncompliant.”

Mike Semel, The Athletic’s editorial director for standards and quality, said his review found no “clear link to conclude that Russini used her platform to help promote Vrabel or help his teams during her time at The Athletic.”

However, Semel noted that some of Russini’s coverage now appears awkward in retrospect.

“That said, there are examples of Russini writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable,” Semel wrote in the report published online.

As part of the investigation, Semel reviewed 903 stories and 77 videos Russini contributed to during her time at The Athletic, as well as 204 episodes of her podcast. He also interviewed 14 Athletic employees who had worked closely with Russini.

However, Semel did not interview Russini as part of the investigation, a source told ESPN.

Still Lenient Investigation

Although Semel found no inaccuracies in Russini’s reporting about Vrabel, he pointed to a Nov. 23, 2023 column in which she wrote that Vrabel’s job with the Titans was secure, citing “multiple conversations with high-ranking Titans officials.”

The Titans fired Vrabel on Jan. 9, 2024. Semel noted that “no other media came out as strongly about Vrabel‘s job security.” Still, he said it would be difficult to establish that Russini did not actually have “multiple conversations with high-ranking Titans officials” or that her reporting was inaccurate when it was published.

Russini, who is married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt and has two children with him, initially addressed the controversy after the first photos were published on April 7.

She told Page Six that the images “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, who has two children with his wife, Jen, also dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing. He told Page Six that the photos “show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

Steven Ginsberg, The Athletic‘s executive editor, similarly defended Russini, telling Page Six that the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.”