USA Today Sports has terminated its contractor relationship with NFL reporter Crissy Froyd with immediate effect after she mocked Dianna Russini's resignation from The Athletic on social media.
Froyd wrote on X that Russini had been 'told to submit this or that you'd get fired instead', adding: '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.'
Announcing the move, USA Today Sports said: 'Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct.' Froyd later stood by her comments, saying she regretted 'zero' of what she said and had done nothing wrong.
The controversy stems from photographs published by Page Six showing Russini, 43, holding hands and hugging New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, 50, at a hotel in Sedona, Arizona, on 28 March. Both, who are married, denied any wrongdoing, with Vrabel calling the suggestion of impropriety 'laughable'.
Russini, who joined The Athletic in 2023, said she was stepping down before her contract expired on 30 June because she refused to let a 'media frenzy' define her career. She maintained she had covered the NFL 'with professionalism and dedication' and stood behind every story she had published. The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, launched an investigation into the photographs.
