Fellow veteran sports reporter Jemele Hill, speaking out against Deanna Russini’s resignation from The Athletic after Page Six published photos of Russini with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a luxury hotel, said male reporters are not held to “the same ethical standards.”
“The photo raised questions, but if male insiders were held to similar ethical standards, none would exist,” Hill posted on X.
Hill continued to defend her position after receiving criticism, responding to a commenter who wrote, “This is not a feminist issue…the photo raised legitimate concerns.”
“I’m not saying there aren’t concerns, but believe me when I say a lot of insiders have really compromised relationships. They may not be holding hands, but they’re drinking with these guys, going on vacations with these guys, attending weddings and family events,” Hill responded.
“Deanna doesn’t need to talk about me because I understand the obvious double standards,” she continued. “If she’s in a compromised relationship, she deserves to be put out of that pain, but there’s a clear difference between the level of scrutiny and judgment she’s receiving and Mike Vrabel. Her career will be over. He… I hope you see him on the sideline in Game 1.”
She later responded to a commenter who called the sports industry “one of the most sexist and misogynistic corporations in America,” but still didn’t think Russini’s situation was “a matter of double standards.”
Hill disagreed, but said, “It’s interesting to me how Deanna carries all the consequences, and I also know that so many men in the industry are completely compromised by their cozy relationships.”
Hill also reposted a clip in which she spoke about the scandal on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stagots podcast, stressing that Russini’s actions are not reflective of all female sportswriters.
“The men who say this undermines the credibility of female journalists probably already think so,” she says.
Russini resigned from his position as senior NFL insider at The Athletic, a New York Times affiliate, on Tuesday, emphasizing in a letter to The Athletic editor-in-chief Stephen Ginsburg that he was not leaving his job because he had done something wrong.
“Commentators in various media outlets are simply moving away from the facts and making their own assumptions,” she wrote. “Furthermore, this media frenzy is proceeding at breakneck speed in disregard of the review process The Athletic is attempting to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and is unwilling to respond to a public investigation that has already caused far more damage than I am prepared to accept.”
“Rather than continue, I have decided to step back,” she continued, adding that she is proud of the professional work she has done. “I do so not because I accept the narrative built around this episode, but because I refuse to give it further oxygen or let it define me or my career.”
Mr. Russini, 43, resigned amid the department’s investigation into his conduct with Mr. Vrabel, 50.
Last month, she and Vrabel (both married to strangers) were snapped at the boutique resort Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona. Exclusive photos obtained by Page Six.
A Page Six spy said the pair had breakfast on the hotel restaurant patio around 10:30 a.m. on March 28, then spent an hour relaxing together by the pool and relaxing side by side in the hot tub.
Our spies spotted Vrabel and Russini again that night on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows. The bungalows are only accessible from two-person bungalows and cost up to $2,160 per night.
The photo shows the two hugging and facing each other with their fingers intertwined at sunset. Spies said the two were seen dancing together briefly.
Vrabel denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Page Six, saying, “These photos show a completely harmless interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable and deserves no further response.”
Russini also said, “The photo does not represent a group of six people hanging out together during the day. Like most NFL journalists, the reporter interacts with sources away from the stadium and other venues.”
