© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
ESPN has finally reported on the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal, and it’s not looking good for Russini.
Last week, the NY Post published several photos of Russini and the Patriots’ head coach holding hands and hanging out in the hot tub at an adults-only resort in Arizona.
Both Russini and Vrabel immediately denied they were doing anything improper at the resort.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” said Russini “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
On Friday, ESPN released a bombshell story revealing that Russini failed to have the Mike Vrabel story squashed behind the scenes but was unable to provide her bosses with any evidence to support her claims.
According to ESPN, Russini contacted a veteran crisis-communications PR professional to help her get out of the scandal.
Via ESPN
In the days before the story ran, Russini consulted advisers, including a veteran in crisis communications. Russini and Vrabel also communicated about how to respond to the Post, according to a person with knowledge of those discussions.
Russini argued the photos were a sexist attack on a female reporter in a male-dominated field, the people said. She made the argument to her bosses at The Athletic and called Levien and said she had been traveling with friends, the people said. The Post, though, wanted to turn it into a scandal, she told people internally, according to the three people. Russini also offered to have her bosses speak to Vrabel, which the company declined, according to two people familiar with the offer.
Apparently, Russini’s bosses at The Athletic asked for any type of evidence that could absolve Russini, but she failed to provide anything.
But inside The Athletic last week, the Post report raised questions because it included an eyewitness account of Russini and Vrabel at the resort alone, which contradicted her version of events, according to the three people with knowledge of the timeline.
While The Athletic had been quick to rush to her defense ahead of the story, now executives asked for more evidence from Russini such as text messages about an airport pickup, screenshots of planning the trip or photos from a hike, the three people said. They said Russini never provided sufficient evidence. On Friday, April 10, ESPN reported that The Athletic had launched an investigation into her NFL coverage and the nature of her relationship with Vrabel, and a person familiar with the matter told ESPN that she would not be reporting during that process.
Despite being unable to provide evidence that absolves her of wrongdoing, Russini is still claiming her innocence after resigning from her job at The Athletic.
“Over a career spanning more than fifteen years in sports journalism — at NBC, ESPN, and The Athletic — I have built a body of work I am proud of,” Russini wrote in her resignation letter. “I have broken stories, earned the trust of sources across the league, and been guided by the highest standards of professional conduct.”