Unrest at The New York Times has intensified as its probe into Dianna Russini’s relationship with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel remains “weeks away” from publication. Russini resigned from The Athletic after being placed on leave following an adults-o
In early April, bombshell pictures surfaced showing Dianna Russini appearing intimate with Mike Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona. The images landed like a match in a room already full of scrutiny—two married people, both with children, each at the center of their own public roles.
At the New York Times, the fallout moved fast at first. Russini left her job as an NFL reporter at The Athletic, a publication owned by the New York Times. Steven Ginsberg. Russini’s boss at The Athletic. initially launched a defiant defense of her before she was put on leave and ultimately resigned after Ginsberg said “additional information emerged.”.
But the second phase—the one that’s now irritating staff—has dragged. Two months after the probe began, Athletic staffers are frustrated that the investigation still isn’t producing an outcome. The delay is tied to the message Ginsberg passed along last week. with one line that has stuck: “It’s going to take a few more weeks.”.
Ginsberg told staff that there was “a lot to go through,” and that they wanted to “take our time and be careful doing that.” He also said, “We will update everybody when we get to the end of that,” and added that if anything needed correction, it would be corrected along the way.
Russini has denied suggestions of an affair. In a statement announcing her resignation. she insisted she “stands by every story she has published.” Vrabel also denied it initially. alongside Russini’s claim that they had been at the resort with friends—an explanation that did not quiet the situation for long.
Since then, Vrabel has taken a different path publicly. He said he began counseling so he could “be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be.” He even missed the third day of the NFL Draft with the Patriots as a result of the move.
“I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling,” Vrabel said.
“This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them. This is not an easy thing for me to admit. but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”.
For the Patriots, the football work hasn’t stopped while the investigation grinds on. Vrabel has since tried to get back to business and focus on the team. He led New England to the Super Bowl last season, before they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, the news that the New York Times probe is “weeks away” from being published has a very practical edge for everyone involved—especially for Vrabel, whose attempt to move forward now has to coexist with a story that refuses to close.
Russini, meanwhile, has appeared in public with her husband. They were spotted outside their New Jersey home together and again at a bar in central Manhattan near Madison Square Garden. before a Bruce Springsteen concert. The contrast is striking: on the ground, life keeps moving; inside the newsroom, the investigation is still not finished.
Dianna Russini Mike Vrabel New York Times The Athletic NFL investigation Patriots Steven Ginsberg arbitration Arizona resort scandal counseling