Newly-resurfaced photos of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini showed them smiling together at a casino following his firing from the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, can be seen laughing together at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, just before midnight on January 31, 2024, in photos obtained by TMZ on Thursday, April 23.
A witness told the outlet that they recognized Vrabel and assumed Russini must be his wife but didn’t realize her actual identity until recently.
Per the photographer, Russini followed Vrabel when he left the roulette table and then sat opposite him. The two were reportedly together in the casino for around an hour before the witness left.
The timing of the casino outing is significant as Vrabel was fired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans on January 9, 2024 — just a few weeks before these new photos were reportedly snapped.
Both Vrabel and Russini were married to other people at the time. (Russini has been married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020 and they share two sons: Michael, 4, and Joey, 3. Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999.)
Us Weekly has reached out to Russini and the New England Patriots for comment.
Controversy arose over the nature of Vrabel and Russini’s relationship in early April when they were photographed holding hands at a boutique hotel in Sedona, Arizona. At the time, Vrabel said that the photos showed “a completely innocent interaction” and insisted that “any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini said at the time. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Amid her employer, The Athletic, opening an investigation into her conduct on April 11, Russini confirmed her resignation from the outlet on April 14.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini said in a statement. “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. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.”
She added, “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30,” Russini concluded. “I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
ESPN’s Ben Strauss reported on Saturday, April 18, that the NFL chose not to review Vrabel’s conduct under its personal conduct policy. With the NFL draft set to kick off on Thursday, Vrabel addressed reporters for the first time on Tuesday, April 22.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about: my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me.”
Asked directly about Russini, the coach demurred, saying only, “I respect and I appreciate every single question, but I’m not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that.”
With hours to go before the start of the draft, Page Six published photos appearing to show Vrabel and Russini kissing at New York City’s TriBeCa Tavern on March 11, 2020. The photo was taken at a time when most of the world was socially distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Vrabel and Russini were shown kissing, holding hands and sitting close at the bar.
