Dianna Russini’s NYT salary before Vrabel photo scandal revealed

A former manager with knowledge of her pay said Dianna Russini earned $800,000 annually while working for the New York Times before she lost her job amid the Mike Vrabel photo scandal. She was one of the highest-paid journalists at the Athletic, which the Times purchased in 2022 for $550 million.

In April, photos showed Vrabel and Russini holding hands and hugging at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona. Both denied anything romantic was going on and said they were joined by other friends, but eyewitnesses disputed their account. Additional images later emerged of the pair kissing in a dimly lit New York City bar in 2020; at the time Vrabel was already married and Russini was set to marry Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt six months later.

Russini was subsequently sidelined by the New York Times and resigned from her role as senior NFL insider at the Athletic. Vrabel then announced he would skip Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to seek counseling and focus on family.

United States, Sedona, Arizona; New York City

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