New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini were reportedly nervous to be seen together amid their years-long relationship.
Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, were “cautious” about pictures being taken during their private boat trip together in June 2021, according to TMZ Sports, who posted video of the excursion on Thursday, May 7.
“Coach Vrabel wanted to enjoy a private weekend,” TMZ Sports alleges the boating company was told about the trip, which came just months before Russini gave birth to her first baby with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt.
Vrabel did pose for one photo with staff members, but the employees were allegedly told not to share anything publicly. Russini did not take any pictures.
The boating trip happened in Putnam County, Tennessee, during the 2021 NFL offseason, when Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999 and the couple share two sons: Tyler, 25, and Carter, 24.
Russini and Goldschmidt welcomed their first son, Michael, in August 2021, and their second son, Joey, in October 2022.
Us Weekly has reached out to Vrabel and Russini for comment.
Vrabel and Russini’s relationship has been a viral sensation since last month, when Page Six published photos of them together at a luxury resort in Arizona. The pictures showed the two linking hands, sharing a hot tub and sunbathing together by the pool.
Both Vrabel and Russini vehemently denied their relationship was romantic right after the first batch of photos was released.
Since then, however, multiple outlets have shared additional photographic evidence of their relationship, with Page Six publishing photos of the pair seemingly kissing at a bar in New York City in 2020.
Before the start of the NFL Draft last month, Vrabel announced he was briefly stepping away from the team to attend counseling.
“I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said in a statement to ESPN on April 22. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
He continued, “I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
