The New York Times claims Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel “worked together to coordinate their responses” over leaked Sedona pictures

Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini have been in the spotlight ever since their pictures from a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona, showing the pair holding hands, went public. The Athletic had launched an investigation into the NFL insider, which led to her resignation as well.

On Wednesday, the New York Times shared surprising details about how Russini and the New England Patriots coach handled the scandal.

“She told The Post that she had been at the hotel in Sedona on a girls’ trip, but over the next two days did not provide any photos from the trip or receipts,” the report read. “Ms. Russini and Mr. Vrabel worked together to coordinate their responses to The Post, according to someone who had conversations with each of them.”

According to the report, when Russini finally realized the story was going to break, her first phone call was not to her bosses at The Athletic. She reached out directly to Meredith Kopit Levien, the Chief Executive Officer of The New York Times, who asked her to follow the proper chain of command.

Since Russini withheld the information for two full days while coordinating with Vrabel, executives at The Athletic were thrown into a blind panic with only a few hours left before the publication deadline.

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Dianna Russini investigation details surface amid Mike Vrabel controversy

The controversy surrounding Dianna Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel continues to gain attention following new details from an internal review conducted by The New York Times.

The investigation reportedly examined whether Russini’s interactions with Vrabel created a conflict of interest under the publication’s journalistic standards. According to the report, The Athletic’s guidelines require reporters to disclose relationships or affiliations that may affect credibility.

“Ms. Russini did not alert editors to any conflicts of interest, according to the Times Company spokeswoman,” the report read.

Kelly McBride, chair of the Newmark Center for Ethics at the Poynter Institute, noted that even close platonic relationships between journalists and sources should be discussed with editors to ensure transparency.

She suggested that Russini could have disclosed her friendship with Vrabel and worked with management to figure out the appropriate course of action.