Dianna Russini told 'you disgust me' by female NFL reporter fired over previous comments
Dianna Russini told 'you disgust me' by female NFL reporter fired over previous comments
Matthew NeschisWed, November 11, 2026 at 6:25 PM UTC
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Dianna Russini drew a fierce wave of backlash from NFL reporter Crissy Froyd -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)
NFL reporter Crissy Froyd reignited her bitter feud with Dianna Russini, telling the former Athletic reporter, “You disgust me.”
Back in April, Russini resigned from The Athletic after a series of leaked photos uncovered her close relationship with Mike Vrabel. Following a weeks-long internal investigation, the outlet declared that her association with the New England Patriots head coach represented a "clear violation" of newsroom standards.
Now several months removed from her unceremonious exit, Russini is set to return to the NFL landscape with a weekly BetUS show titled The Russini Report. In the lead-up to the first episode of her new program, which was delayed due to technical difficulties, she expressed hope that other female reporters would be inspired by her story.
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“I really hope that I can be someone other women see: you can pick yourself up, get back in there and not be afraid,” Russini told People.
Russini’s comments didn’t sit well with Froyd, who slammed the 43-year-old for insinuating she was a role-model figure.
“A hero and inspiration for women in sports? Gross thing to say when you’re the opposite,” Froyd wrote. “Lie to yourself and everyone else harder @DMRussini. You disgust me.”
This is hardly the first time that Froyd has voiced her disdain for Russini. Responding to Russini’s resignation letter, the former USA Today pundit wrote: “I'm sure you were told to submit this or that you'd get fired instead.
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Russini expressed hope that her story would inspire other female journalists -Credit:Getty Images
“Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We know who you really are and what you've been up to for years. It does so much detriment to women in sports who have done things the right way.”
Upon catching wind of Froyd’s post, USA Today announced that it terminated her contract “effective immediately,” adding her comments “do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct.”
Despite losing her job, Froyd insisted that she harbored no regrets for speaking out against Russini and her behavior. "I would like to acknowledge the statements put out about me recently and that I am also no longer with USA TODAY SMG," she wrote.
"I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it. If you want to talk, my messages are open. My email is operative, too.
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"I feel I've been very transparent and did nothing wrong. I also find it so interesting that a Nancy Armour column was able to be published about Dianna Russini setting women back on USAT, but that my comments as a freelancer on my own social media about her were not fine.
"Be bold and speak out. Will it make a martyr out of you? Maybe. But some things are worth it and some are not. This was."
In a separate statement to the Daily Cellar, Froyd suggested that the rumors about Russini and Vrabel were "certainly true” and well known in the industry.
"All of us do know what she’s been up to," she said. "From fights with other reporters in Chili’s parking lots about hooking up with married NFL coaches to everything else, it is almost certainly all true. It was the worst-kept secret in the NFL reporting world for a while."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
