Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel are still grappling with a ‘deep connection’ that they cannot act upon as they continue to be engulfed by affair allegations, an insider has revealed.
The New England Patriots head coach and NFL reporter, who are both married to and share children with other people, were pictured hugging and hanging out poolside at an adults-only resort in Arizona earlier this month.
Then on Thursday, exclusive photos from the New York Post purportedly showed Vrabel, then coach of the Tennessee Titans, at the now-closed Tribeca Tavern in New York with Russini, who was working for ESPN and covering the team at the time.
Earlier this week, Vrabel told reporters at the Patriots’ return to practice that he’d had ‘difficult conversations with people I care about about – with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players’ in the wake of the scandal.
But a source has now told the Daily Mail there is still a ‘deep connection’ between Vrabel and Russini and they are facing a difficult few months ahead.
The source added that Vrabel’s coaching career could also be in jeopardy, and if his Patriots team doesn’t continue winning next season then the scandal will be to blame.
Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel still have a ‘deep connection’, despite denying affair claims
A source told the Daily Mail: ‘There is still a deep connection between Dianna and Mike that they can’t act on now that they are surrounded by this controversy. The next several months are going to be a humongous test for both of them.
‘If the Patriots don’t come out swinging this upcoming season and don’t show the same effort that they showed this past season where they made the Super Bowl, this controversy will be to blame.
‘It will be a shadow all year if the team is not good. The only thing that will make this go away is winning. The way winning shapes how people are remembered really shows up in past sports scandals.
‘It’s not a perfect comparison but look at the Kobe Bryant situation. He was charged with sexual assault and also admitted to infidelity in his marriage. But as time went on and he kept winning games and championships, that part of his story started to fade more into the background.
‘After he passed away, the way people talked about him shifted even more. For a lot of people now, his legacy is defined much more by what he accomplished on the court and the impact he had on the game than anything else. But it showed that winning changes everything.’
The source added: ‘Will there be divorces, will they find themselves together in the future? Nobody knows that answer at all. But there is a lot of history there with all the relationships involved.
‘It’s currently a mess that will be fully addressed as the months go on and how life pans out. Literally every option seems to be on the table.’
The Daily Mail has contacted both Vrabel and Russini for comment.
The pair became embroiled in controversy earlier this month, when the New York Post published suggestive photos of Vrabel with Russini fraternizing at a $2,500-a-night retreat in Sedona, Arizona.
Vrabel admitted he’s been forced to have ‘difficult conversations with people I care about’
Russini left her job with The Athletic last week after being pictured with Vrabel in Arizona
Russini interviewing Vrabel last year after he was named coach of the New England Patriots
The Post later released other pictures, ostensibly showing Vrabel and Russini enjoying breakfast together.
While sources close to both parties insisted to Page Six they were joined by a group of friends, ‘multiple eyewitnesses’ reportedly claimed the two were actually ‘alone’ in Arizona.
Vrabel and Russini have both denied any wrongdoing while insisting the photos of them hugging and hanging poolside are misleading.
Russini was ultimately placed on leave and investigated by The Athletic’s parent company, The New York Times, only to resign from her position last week.
One witness told Page Six regarding the new photos of them in a bar together on March 11, 2020: ‘They were kissing and they were all over each other. He had a ring on.’
‘They were having a glorious time,’ the source said. ‘They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly. There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.’
Russini was married to her husband Kevin Goldschmidt later that year. Vrabel, meanwhile, has been married to his wife Jen since 1999. Both have two children.
Other than describing the Post’s story as ‘laughable’ in a brief statement, Vrabel had been silent on the matter until ostensibly making himself accountable to the public at Tuesday’s press conference.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades and they have two children
Dianna Russini married fast food executive Kevin Goldschmidt in 2020 during the pandemic
Speaking to reporters as the Patriots started their offseason program, an emotional Vrabel said: ‘I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about about – with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.
‘Those have been positive and productive. We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me.’
But while Vrabel appeared to be taking accountability for the scandal, he stopped short of answering questions about the allegations, his initial denial and the fact that Russini is now out of a job.
Since then, the Patriots have revealed that Vrabel will be away from the team on Saturday, the third day of the NFL Draft, as he undergoes counseling. The timing of the treatment has raised eyebrows given the fact that the Patriots have eight of their 11 picks scheduled for the third and final day of the draft.
The team said on Thursday night: ‘The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. 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.
‘We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.’
