Jemele Hill, a fellow veteran sports reporter, said that male reporters are not held “to a similar standard of ethics,” in reaction to Dianna Russini resigning from the Athletic after Page Six published photos of Russini at a lux hotel with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
“While the photos raised questions, if male insiders were held to a similar standard of ethics, none of them would exist,” Hill posted on X.
Hill continued to defend her stance after receiving criticism, responding to a commenter who wrote, “This isn’t a feminist issue … The photos raised valid concerns.”
Hill replied, “I didn’t say it didn’t raise concerns, but trust me when I tell you that a lot of insiders are in some truly compromised relationships. Maybe they aren’t holding hands, but they are drinking with these dudes, going on vacations, attending weddings and family events.”
“Dianna ain’t gotta give a f—k about me for me understand an obvious double standard,” she continued. “If she has a compromised relationship, she should be relieved of her beat, but there is a clear difference in the level of scrutiny and judgment she’s receiving versus Mike Vrabel. Her career will be over. Him … see him on the sidelines for Game 1.”
She later replied to a commenter who called the sports industry “one of the most sexist, misogynistic businesses in the US,” but still didn’t think that Russini’s situation was a “double standards issue.”
Hill didn’t disagree, but noted that “it’s interesting to me how Dianna is bearing all the consequences and I also know that so many men in the business are completely compromised by cozy relationships.”
Hill also reposted a clip of her talking about the scandal on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” podcast, in which she stressed that Russini’s actions didn’t reflect on all female sports reporters.
“Men who say this undermines the credibility of female journalists probably already believed that,” she said.
Russini resigned from her position as Senior NFL Insider at the Athletic — which is owned by the New York Times — Tuesday, and in a letter to Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg, she stressed she wasn’t leaving her job because she did anything wrong.
“Commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” she wrote. “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now,” she continued, also noting she was proud of the professional work she’s done. “I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
Russini, 43, resigned amid an investigation by the outlet into her conduct with Vrabel, 50.
Last month, she and Vrabel — who are both married to other people — were snapped at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, a boutique resort, in exclusive pics obtained by Page Six.
A Page Six spy told us that the pair had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on March 28 before spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side by side in a hot tub.
Our spy spotted Vrabel and Russini again that evening on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows, which are only accessible from the two-person bungalows and cost up to $2,160 a night.
Photos show the two hugging at sunset, and weaving their fingers together as they stand face-to-face. The spy said they saw the pair briefly dance together.
Vrabel denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Page Six, which read, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini also told us, “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.”
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