He throws a Hail Mary.
Dianna Russini has enlisted veteran crisis publicist Melissa Nathan to help her navigate the Mike Vrabel scandal, a source told Page Six on Thursday.
The development comes as the former Athletic reporter prepares to return to work after abruptly leaving the job in April amid controversy surrounding the New England Patriots head coach.
An insider told Page Six that while interested parties have taken action, the mainstream media has failed to do so, and it’s time for Russini to seek outside help to revamp his career.
The decision to team up with Nathan is an interesting one; Not only does he have experience putting out fires for celebrities like Logan Paul, Johnny Depp, and Justin Baldoni, but he’s also found himself in the headlines lately.
Nathan is currently in litigation with rival publisher Stephanie Jones over allegations that Baldoni and Blake Lively orchestrated online smear campaigns during the “It Ends With Us” saga. Nathan has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Russini, who was represented by CAA, resigned following an internal investigation into his relationship with Vrabel.
The Athletic ultimately ruled that his personal connection to the Super Bowl-winning linebacker violated newsroom standards because it was not disclosed, but its reporting was not compromised.
In April, Page Six published photos of Russini and the New England Patriots head coach holding hands at an Arizona resort in late March.
Both Russini and Vrabel downplayed the photos at the time, with the coach calling it a “completely innocent interaction” but adding that “any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
Since then, several more instances of the duo together have emerged, including a casual outing at a New York City bar in March 2020, where a source claimed she saw them kissing.
“They were kissing and on top of each other,” an eyewitness told Page Six.
Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 51, are married to other people.
Vrabel later took responsibility for his actions and the distractions he caused and left the Patriots to seek counseling during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Russini has yet to directly address this ordeal publicly, but has continued to bear the brunt of it; He was blamed for the Patriots’ slow start to the season, especially after making it to the Super Bowl.
Last month, it was rumored that Russini was considering various options for his next gig and a decision wouldn’t come until Week 1 of the NFL season.
Its future remains uncertain after about five weeks, but that’s not due to a lack of interest, the source said.
Page Six has reached out to Russini and Nathan for comment.