Dianna Russini was offered a new job after she resigned from the Athletic over her photo scandal with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Jon “Stugotz” Weiner addressed the head-turning snaps on his “Stugotz & Company” podcast on Friday, saying that his pal can work for him when she’s ready.
“I did say if the Athletic fired her, I would hire her,” he said. “They didn’t fire her. She stepped down from the Athletic, and the offer holds forever.”
“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.
The podcast host clarified that he was “not apologizing” or acting as a “mouthpiece” for Russini, telling the audience, “I am simply saying, it’s her story to tell, it’s not my story, and I am simply going to support my friend.”
Weiner shared that he has been supportive of Russini, 43, as a friend and wouldn’t be sharing the details she had confided in him.
“I’m not a journalist, I’m a talk show host,” he continued. “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.
“Not talks, listens. This is her story to share when she feels like sharing it. It is not me.”
A rep for Russini wasn’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.
Russini — a “senior NFL insider” — stepped back from her position at the New York Times publication after Page Six exclusively published snaps of her and Vrabel, 50, together at an Arizona-based hotel in March.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote in her resignation letter.
“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,” she added.
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Vrabel added, claiming that she was choosing to step away to halt speculation.
Ahead of Russini’s resignation, she was sidelined by the outlet amid an investigation, a source previously told us.
Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, previously denied any wrongdoing, insisting that they were at the resort with other friends who weren’t visible in the photos.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues,” Russini told Page Six in a statement.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” Vrabel added in a separate statement.
While Russini later resigned from her position, Vrabel stepped away from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to seek counseling and focus on his family.
Vrabel’s decision came one day before Page Six published 2020 photos of him and Russini kissing at a New York City bar.
When the snaps were released, Russini deleted her X account and put her Instagram profile on private.
As for Vrabel, Page Six reported that he and his wife, Jen, had flown to Utah for an emergency marriage summit.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source pagesix.com ’
