“The Athletic” Releases Report on Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel Scandal After Investigation

The Athletic released its investigation report on former reporter Dianna Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel on September 3, 2025, after completing a review of Russini's relationship with Vrabel. The report, authored by editorial director for standards and editorial quality Mike Semel, found that the relationship between Russini and Vrabel was a breach of The Athletic's standards and should have been disclosed.

Semel's report reviewed 903 stories featuring Russini's byline and interviewed 14 staff members who worked with her during her time at The Athletic.

The Athletic highlighted a specific standard of conduct in their internal employee intranet, which emphasized the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining credibility. The outlet found that photographs of Russini with Vrabel at a resort in 2022 "put The Athletic's credibility in jeopardy" and created an appearance of conflict. However, the report concluded that Russini's relationship with Vrabel did not show bias or give her access to exclusive scoops.

Semel noted that Russini's work was not consistently reliant on Vrabel as a source or subject, and that most media coverage of Vrabel during Russini's time at The Athletic was positive. The report also found that Russini failed to disclose her relationship with Vrabel to her editors, which violated The Athletic's standards. Russini resigned from The Athletic in April following the release of the photos. Vrabel has since returned to playing for the Patriots ahead of their season opener.