Dianna Russini, the NFL reporter at the heart of a relationship scandal with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, has deactivated her X account after intimate new photos of the pair surfaced Thursday.
Earlier this month, photos published by PageSix showed the pair holding hands at an Arizona resort. Both Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 50, are married to other people.
After initially downplaying the photos, Russini resigned from her post at The Athletic after the publication launched an investigation into her relationship with Vrabel. Meanwhile, Vrabel told the media Tuesday he has had “difficult conversations with people I care about.”
Since the scandal broke, Russini has faced relentless trolling on social media as sleuths have dug through her old posts and interviews about the Patriots coach.
Her decision to shut down her X account comes after PageSix published new photos appearing to show the pair kissing at a bar in New York City six years ago. An insider who took the photos told Page Six that they witnessed Russini’s legs “in between” Vrabel’s and that they were giving each other “a bunch of pecks constantly.”
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, with whom he shares two children, since 1990, while Russini married Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt six months after the photos were reportedly taken in 2020. She and Goldschmidt also share two children.
Neither the Patriots nor Russini has responded to The Independent’s requests for comment.
On Thursday, Vrabel said he took accountability for creating a “distraction” for the NFL during the league’s draft week.
“I understand that there are questions. I take accountability for my actions, and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about — my family, this football team, the organization and our fans. My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don’t,” he told reporters.
The NFL has confirmed it is not investigating Vrabel’s conduct, with Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterating in an ESPN interview that the league views it as a “personal matter.”
Goodell added: “This is not a personal conduct policy as we know of today. It’s a personal matter and we’ll leave it at that. I think the teams handle these matters when they are personal matters. They have a lot more information that can benefit people involved.”
The Patriots has expressed its support for Vrabel’s decision. In a statement, the team said: “Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.”
Vrabel also confirmed he will not attend day three of the draft on Saturday to attend counseling.
In her resignation letter, Russini maintained that she covered the NFL “with professionalism and dedication.”
“I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote.
Not long after Russini published her resignation letter, The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg shared a statement with Page Six saying “there were clear concerns” when the first batch of photos surfaced, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
However, “additional information emerged” and “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” he wrote.