USA Today reporter Crissy Froyd has been fired following a social media post directed at Dianna Russini after her resignation from The Athletic.
One week after photos surfaced showing Dianna Russini with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, the 43-year-old NFL insider announced she was stepping down from The Athletic.
The images, taken on March 28, showed Vrabel and Russini holding hands, hugging and spending time together by a pool at an adults only hotel in Sedona, Arizona.
After Russini published her resignation letter, USA Today reporter Froyd responded with a critical message on X.
Crissy Froyd’s X post and backlash
Crissy Froyd wrote: “I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired instead. 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..”
In further comments to The Daily Caller, Froyd suggested that Russini had previously been involved with married NFL coaches during her career. In the same context, Froyd also admitted to having a sexual relationship with former college quarterback JT Daniels.
The comments quickly spread across social media and intensified scrutiny around Froyd‘s own conduct.
USA Today ends relationship with Crissy Froyd
On Thursday, USA Today announced it had ended its working relationship with Froyd, citing a violation of its principles of ethical conduct.
Froyd had been with USA Today since 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile, and previously worked at SB Nation.
Russini, meanwhile, stated in her resignation letter that her contract with The Athletic was set to expire on June 30, though it remains unclear whether it would have been renewed.
Before joining The Athletic in 2023, Russini worked at ESPN from 2015 to 2023 and earlier at NBC News, establishing herself as one of the NFL’s most prominent insiders.
For now, both careers have become part of a wider discussion in sports media about reporting standards, public commentary, and professional boundaries.
Read the full article here
