In his first year as New England Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel pulled off a massive turnaround. He took a four-win team to a 14-3 record, an AFC East title, and a Super Bowl appearance, winning his second AP Coach of the Year award. Between his three Super Bowls as a Patriots player and his success coaching the Titans, Vrabel has spent two decades building a top-tier reputation.
That reputation is now under fire. On Tuesday, Page Six published photos of Vrabel and The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona, Arizona. The images from March 28 show the two hugging, dancing on a rooftop, and lounging by the pool and hot tub.
While witnesses claimed they were alone, both Vrabel and Russini have denied any romantic involvement. Vrabel called the rumors “laughable”and “completely innocent.”
Dianna Russini
Feb 7, 2022; Westlake Village, CA, USA; ESPN reporter Dianna Russini at Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Opening Night at Oaks Christian High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In her defense, Russini said, “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.”
Statements from the involved parties on the Vrabel-Russini development:#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Athletics reporter Dianna Russini: “The… https://t.co/LqBEBO40LF pic.twitter.com/ZTp0YTfyPJ
— New England Sports Fellow (@_JosephManning) April 8, 2026
It is worth mentioning that both parties remain married to their respective spouses: Vrabel to his wife, Jen, since 1999, and Russini to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020. Their marital status just put gasoline in the fire.
Fans rip Dianna Russini’s “innocent” excuse with Mike Vrabel
NFL fans refused to buy her defense and openlyaccused the two of cheating. In this vacuum, an old video of her interviewing Vrabel at a Patriots practice facility is now making rounds online, with many pointing to their body language as additional context, which they found difficult to ignore.
“Let’s just all be adults about this, they’re definitely f—ing,” one userwrote.
Anotheradded, “Lmao we have the uncropped pic, there isn’t 6 other people in the area code.”
A thirdclaimed, “Hugging and f—ing by the pool is not normal. Both of you got compromised.”
The fourth oneclaimed, “What husband is interlocking fingers with another woman? Give me a break.”
A fifth fanremarked, “I’ve been to this resort. You’d never go here with people you aren’t romantically involved with. It’s set up to be a purely romantic getaway.”
And a random X userpenned, “If you’re defending this, show your wife pictures of you and a colleague exactly like this and come tell everybody what she said.”
However, this isn’t the first time Russini has faced these kinds of rumors. In 2015, while she was at ESPN, the wife of then-Washington GM Scot McCloughan publicly accused Russini of having an affair with her husband to get the scoop on Kirk Cousins becoming the starter.
She later apologized, calling her claims “unfounded and inappropriate,” but the internet hasn’t forgotten. That decade-old story resurfaced immediately, making the Sedona photos a much bigger deal for fans online.
This story is not going away quietly. With the photos and statements out there, both families are stuck in the middle of a public mess. It is safe to say that the fallout is just beginning.