Former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini has stated she stands by all her past reporting, even after a multi-month investigation by her former employer concluded an alleged affair with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was a "clear violation" of the company's standards.
Vrabel, when asked about the findings, offered a brief response that echoed Bill Belichick's famous "We're onto Cincinnati" quote. "No, I don't have any reaction to that," Vrabel said. "We're moved on and focused on Seattle and focused on the Patriots and focused on getting better this week."
Page Six exclusively published photos in April of Russini and Vrabel, who are both married, holding hands at a resort in Arizona. At the time, Russini told Page Six that the photos did not represent a larger group and that reporters often interact with sources away from official venues.
As more instances of the pair appearing friendly emerged, Russini resigned from The Athletic in April. In her resignation letter, she maintained her innocence and stated she was stepping aside not because she accepted the constructed narrative, but because she refused to give it further attention.
The Athletic's investigation, launched in April, examined whether the alleged relationship impacted Russini's reporting on Vrabel. Vrabel previously coached the Titans from 2018 to 2024 before joining the Patriots in 2025. Russini covered Vrabel with ESPN earlier in his career before joining The Athletic in 2023. The investigation reviewed 903 stories, 77 videos, and 204 podcasts featuring Russini, along with 14 interviews with individuals who had worked with her.
Mike Semel, The Athletic's editorial director for standards and quality, concluded that Russini was "noncompliant" with the outlet's standards. He stated that her relationship with Vrabel was a breach and should have been disclosed to allow editors to assess which stories she should have covered. The report also noted that Russini provided an explanation for the photos that did not align with the facts, raising issues of trust. Semel added that while most of Russini's articles on Vrabel focused on news and transactions, some pieces were written "glowingly" of Vrabel, which in hindsight, were considered awkward or uncomfortable.