The fallout from the Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel controversy has now claimed another sports media career. Crissy Froyd says she was fired by USA TODAY after publicly criticizing Russini, and she is making clear that losing her job has not changed her mind.
In a statement released after her contract was terminated, Froyd said she stands by everything she said about Russini. “I want to say firstly that I do not regret anything that I said and that I stand behind the fact it is all indeed true,” Froyd told Page Six.
She said it was “deeply, deeply emotional” to lose the job she had held for roughly 11 years, but insisted she would not walk back her comments.
Froyd’s firing came after she reacted to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic earlier this week. Russini stepped down after photos surfaced showing her with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a luxury resort in Arizona.
The images showed the pair holding hands, hugging, and sitting together in a hot tub. Both Russini and Vrabel, who are married to other people, denied there was anything inappropriate about the encounter.
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” she wrote. “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.”
Froyd later went further, claiming Russini’s reputation had been “the worst kept secret in the NFL reporting world for a while.”
According to Froyd, USA TODAY warned her that her comments were creating problems for the company because they were being linked to the outlet in news coverage. In an email quoted by Froyd, the company reportedly described her claims as “conjecture” and emphasized that USA TODAY would never publish unverified allegations on its own platform.
By Thursday, April 16, USA TODAY had officially ended its relationship with Froyd. In a statement, spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón said, “Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct.”
The company also said Froyd’s contractor agreement had been terminated immediately.
Froyd responded by confirming she would no longer write for USA TODAY Sports, but once again refused to soften her stance. “I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it,” she said. “I feel I’ve been very transparent and did nothing wrong.”
Rather than backing down, Froyd responded by accusing the company of applying a double standard. She pointed to a column by USA TODAY writer Nancy Armour, who had criticized Russini and argued that the scandal harmed the credibility of women in sports media.
Froyd said it was “incredibly interesting” that Armour could write publicly about the issue while she was punished for discussing it on her own social media account.
“Regardless of what happens to me in the future, I want to say something,” Froyd said. “Do not be afraid to potentially martyr yourself for the right causes.”
She added that she knew there could be consequences for speaking out, but believed it was worth it.
The story has continued to spread beyond Froyd and Russini. Former ESPN personality Britt McHenry also appeared to weigh in online, posting a cryptic message that many readers interpreted as support for Froyd and criticism of Russini.
Russini has denied all allegations and said she resigned because the scrutiny had turned into a “media frenzy” driven by leaks and speculation.
