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Photographs emerged showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with The Athletic/New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona earlier this week, and now that reporter is the subject of an internal investigation.
Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg initially gave a statement to the New York Post’s Page Six April 7, calling the photos “misleading.”
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg initially said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”
Now, sources at The Athletic familiar with the controversy told Fox News Digital Russini is being investigated, while standing by Ginsberg’s initial statement.
The sources responded to Fox News Digital after Page Six and Front Office Sports reported on the internal investigation into Russini.
“After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for Steven and leadership at The Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends,” a source said.
“New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being further reviewed. The investigation is ongoing.”
The source added Russini’s coverage is being reviewed, which is expected to take time, and she will not be reporting for the outlet in the meantime.
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The New York Times declined to comment.
The photos, originally published by Page Six, show the coach and journalist holding hands and hugging on the roof of a resort bungalow in Sedona, Arizona.
Vrabel addressed the photos, telling Page Six, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
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Russini told the outlet, “The photos 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.”
The photographs and subsequent responses became the topic of immense national debate in the sports world this week.
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