Dianna Russini is eyeing a return to the sports media scene following the scandal involving her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Last month, Russini stepped down from her position at The Athletic after Page Six published photos of her and Vrabel at a March adults-only resort in Arizona.
Both Russini and Vrabel, who are married with children, denied any affair, insisting they were among a larger group of friends. However, the controversy deepened with the release of intimate images showing them together at a New York bar in 2020.
While Vrabel has since issued an apology, Russini has largely stayed out of the public eye, dealing with the repercussions of the scandal.
Despite speculation that Russini’s career in sports journalism might be over, she seems to have received a lifeline from Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner.
Weiner addressed the scandal on his ‘Stugotz & Company’ podcast, where he admitted that he would be open to hiring the scandalized ex-NFL Insider.
Dianna Russini has seemingly been offered a career lifeline amid her ongoing affair scandal
Vrabel and Russini are pictured together, years before the Post scandal erupted this month
Jon ‘Stugotz’ Weiner, a friend of Russini’s, has revealed that he would hire her
Weiner stated on his podcast, “I did say if The Athletic fired her, I would hire her. They didn’t fire her. She stepped down from The Athletic, and the offer holds forever.”
He continued: ‘If Dianna Russini decides one day, three months from now, a year from now, two years from now, that she wants to get back into this game, she has a place right here’.
Weiner added that he wasn’t attempting to ‘apologize’ on Russini’s behalf. ‘It’s her story to tell, it’s not my story, and I am simply going to support my friend.’
‘I’m not a journalist, I’m a talk show host. And when my real friends fall on some difficult times, I like to support my friends and talk to them and be someone that listens. This is her story to share when she feels like sharing it. It is not me.’
In the wake of the scandal, Russini stepped away from her job as an NFL Insider at the New York Times-owned company before the end of her contract in late June.
A defiant Russini insisted at the time that her resignation does not mean she crossed the line with Vrabel.
‘I do so [resign] 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,’ she said.
‘I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published.
‘When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful.’
Russini married fast food executive Kevin Goldschmidt in 2020 during the pandemic
Russini has covered Vrabel since his days with the Titans, when she still worked for ESPN
While the future of Russini’s professional career remains uncertain, a source close to the former reporter also revealed her personal life is ‘hanging in the balance’.
Russini’s husband, fast food executive Kevin Goldschmidt, has been left feeling ’emasculated’ and ‘sidelined’ by the ongoing saga, the source told The Daily Mail.
Earlier this week, meanwhile, Vrabel was given a standing ovation when he greeted fans in Foxborough.
That came after he gave an emotional press conference last week, when Vrabel admitted he had been forced to have some ‘difficult conversations’ with his family about the Russini scandal.
