Dianna Russini told New York Times she is a ‘former journalist’

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Dianna Russini has not been publicly heard from in weeks, ever since the scandal with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel went nuclear.

After issuing a defiant resignation letter to The Athletic in the immediate aftermath of intimate photos of the pair being published by the New York Post, Russini deleted or locked her social accounts when more evidence of the apparent affair came to light.

It’s been all quiet on the Russini-Vrabel front ever since the Patriots coach took a day off from the NFL Draft to focus on his family. But even after Vrabel’s half-hearted attempt at accountability saw him enter the spotlight, Russini has still been silent.

However, the New York Times, the parent company of Russin’s outlet at The Athletic, published a lengthy report on the saga this week. There wasn’t a lot of new information in the piece, save for details on Russini’s salary and some behind-the-scenes machinations at The Athletic and the Times.

There were several surreal elements of the deep dive from the Times into a star personality that was involved in a massive controversy while under their umbrella. For starters, executives from both The Athletic and the Times did not comment in the piece. Instead, Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha is quoted repeatedly while Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg, publisher David Perpich, and NYT chief executive Meredith Kopit Levien were not available for interviews.

Then there’s the detail of what happened when Times reporters Katherine Rosman and Ken Belson reached out to Russini personally regarding the story. They detailed that Russini retroactively asked not to be quoted on the record, which was not agreed to beforehand. That would seem to be a non-starter for anyone with journalistic experience. The insider also went directly to the top of Times management, to Levien, to complain, but to no avail. But one of the things Russini said that she was quoted on may give a clue as to where she goes next, if and when she finally does come back into the public eye.

Dianna Russini called herself a “former journalist” in text messages with a Times reporter.

In early May, after The Times began reporting this article, Ms. Russini responded to a reporter’s request for an interview via text message. She cited the “intense scrutiny and personal attacks” she had faced, saying, “This has had a significant impact on my life, both professionally and personally.” At the end of the message, referring to herself as a “former journalist,” Ms. Russini asked the reporter not to quote from the text.

What’s next for Dianna Russini has been the subject of intense speculation ever since the story about her relationship with Mike Vrabel dropped. Given just how shocking and salacious the story has been, and how much it seems to go against many tenets of journalistic integrity, it’s hard to see Russini returning to the industry in a mainstream news role similar to the one she had.

However, given her fame and the availability of second chances, there will certainly be an open door somewhere if she chooses to move forward. We already know that old friend Stugotz has said there is a seat waiting for her on his radio show. And that’s not to mention the other outlets that would love the opportunity to make a splashy hire and welcome the views and intrigue that would come along with it.

But until we hear from Dianna Russini herself, it’s all conjecture. And given that this is the only peek we have into what might be next, it at least seems as if she has accepted that things won’t be the same if she attempts a comeback.

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