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Jemele Hill wants Mike Vrabel to be held accountable in the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal.
On Tuesday, Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic after photos of her, and the New England Patriots head coach were photographed together in a hot tub at an adults-only resort.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. 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.”
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled 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. 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.”
I submitted my letter of resignation to The Athletic. Everything I have to say about it is below. pic.twitter.com/401nrtbEsj
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 14, 2026
During a recent interview with Front Office Sports, Hill wanted to know why Vrabel isn’t being held accountable over the scandal.
“In a lot of these gender dynamics, women usually wind up taking the brunt of the criticism, the brunt of the scrutiny. In just about any situation you can think, women usually don’t come out on the better end of this,” Hill says. “Even now when you look at their careers, he’s not going to miss a day of work. He didn’t even have to face the media about this? He’s had to answer for nothing. She’s had to answer for everything. I find that to be really unfair.”
Hill feels there’s an imbalance because Vrabel won’t get fired, but Russini lost her job.
“Mike Vrabel, no matter how this situation turns out, regardless of whether the allegations are true or not, is going to be able to go back to his job as if nothing happened,” Hill says. “That’s just the imbalance in how these things work. The Patriots aren’t going to fire him. His job was never on the line. Hers always was.”