Diana Russini hired a crisis manager ahead of her return
12 october 2026 в 13:02
Dianna Russini, former senior NFL insider for The Athletic, has hired experienced crisis public relations expert Melissa Nathan ahead of a possible return to work, Page Six reports. Nathan has previously worked with high-profile figures such as Logan Paul, Johnny Depp, and Justin Baldoni, but now finds herself at the center of a scandal involving allegations of orchestrating online campaigns against Blake Lively, which she denies.
Russini, who is 43 years old, is planning her next steps following her dismissal in April amid a scandal involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. It all began in early April when Page Six published photos of the couple at a resort hotel in Arizona. Both claimed the pictures were innocent, but soon additional photos and videos emerged that cast doubt on their statements.
In September, The Athletic published the results of an internal investigation that indicated Russini violated company standards. In her statement upon dismissal, she noted that she had always worked with professionalism and dedication, and expressed gratitude to The Athletic for their support at the onset of the scandal.
Despite her absence from the public eye, Russini has received support from colleagues. Mike Silver from The Athletic stated on the «Tom Tolbert» show in August that he considers Russini a good friend and is confident she will return to work, although perhaps not as an insider. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also expressed his willingness to bring Russini onto his team if she wishes to work for him.
Russini, who is 43 years old, is planning her next steps following her dismissal in April amid a scandal involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. It all began in early April when Page Six published photos of the couple at a resort hotel in Arizona. Both claimed the pictures were innocent, but soon additional photos and videos emerged that cast doubt on their statements.
In September, The Athletic published the results of an internal investigation that indicated Russini violated company standards. In her statement upon dismissal, she noted that she had always worked with professionalism and dedication, and expressed gratitude to The Athletic for their support at the onset of the scandal.
Despite her absence from the public eye, Russini has received support from colleagues. Mike Silver from The Athletic stated on the «Tom Tolbert» show in August that he considers Russini a good friend and is confident she will return to work, although perhaps not as an insider. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also expressed his willingness to bring Russini onto his team if she wishes to work for him.
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