Mitsu Yasukawa / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The internal memo that The Athletic editor Steven Ginsberg sent to the staff about the departure of NFL insider Dianna Russini has leaked. Russini resigned yesterday following speculation about the nature of her relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
In her statement, Dianna Russini — who was spotted canoodling with Mike Vrabel at a private Arizona resort — shirked any responsibility while announcing that she was resigning from The Athletic.
A few hours later, the notice that editor Steven Ginsberg hit the internet, and it could spell more trouble for Russini as the New York Times’ owned outlet will continue its investigation into her conduct.
The Athletic‘s internal memo about Dianna Russini’s resignation confirms the outlet will continue investigating her conduct
“I’m writing to let you know that Dianna Russini has submitted her resignation from The Athletic, effective immediately. While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it,” Ginsberg wrote in a Slack message to the staff.
“Our coverage at The Athletic is deeply rooted in our integrity and our commitment to earning the trust of our audience. Our newsroom has thrived because of our core journalistic values, and we will always ensure they are protected. 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. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” he continued.
“While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign. We will continue a standards review of Dianna’s work that Mike Semel is leading. Amid all of this, I want to sincerely thank everyone for continuing to produce the best sports report in the business. I’m looking forward to focusing on our journalism and continuing our momentum.”
Here’s what The Athletic editor Steven Ginsberg sent to the company after Dianna Russini’s resignation: pic.twitter.com/LhdcjHDQDt
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) April 14, 2026
Now her boss at the Athletic has a memo for the staff that doesn’t seem to support what Russini claimed…matter of fact he cites that a standards review of Dianna’s work continues…This could get a lot worse for Russini https://t.co/gZdg5Poodd
— Glenn Ordway (@GlennDOrdway) April 14, 2026
At this time, other than the initial statement he provided to Page Six when they published the photos, Mike Vrabel has yet to comment on the nature of his relationship with Russini, whom he was photographed holding hands, hugging, lounging by a pool, and soaking in a hot tub with.