Footage of Dianna Russini quizzing Mike Vrabel about his wife during an interview has resurfaced online amid the fallout over their alleged affair.
Russini and Vrabel became embroiled in a scandal earlier this month after Page Six published suggestive photos of them hugging, laughing and lounging poolside at a $2,500-a-night retreat in Sedona, Arizona, leading to accusations that they were having an affair.
The pair, who are both married with children, initially denied the allegations while claiming they were at the resort with a larger group of people at the time.
Yet this week, New England Patriots head coach Vrabel has issued a groveling apology to his family and promised to become a ‘better person’ after agreeing to seek counseling over the photo scandal, starting this weekend.
And as the controversy over their Arizona getaway rages on, fans have pulled up a video of Russini interviewing Vrabel about his wife Jen in August of last year.
‘Your wife, Jen, is a superb athlete,’ the sports reporter initially says in the clip, which has gone viral on social media.
Footage of Dianna Russini quizzing Mike Vrabel about his wife has resurfaced on social media
‘I would say used to be,’ Vrabel interjects about Jen.
Russini then continues: ‘Maybe used to be, but she’s still got it in her, I’m sure… the way you do. So which sport do you think Jen could beat you at now?’
‘Ping pong,’ the New England Patriots coach reveals. ‘I get too aggressive.’
‘Yeah, I can see that,’ Russini concludes.
Vrabel has been married to Jen for over two decades and shares two sons with his long-time wife. Russini also has two sons with her husband Kevin Goldschmidt, whom she tied the knot with in 2020.
Despite continuing to deny the claims on her way out, Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic last week over the scandal. Vrabel, meanwhile, appears to have escaped punishment from both New England and the NFL.
The downcast coach apologized to his family just moments before the NFL Draft started on Thursday night, saying: ‘I understand that there are questions, but 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. What I believe is best for the two most important things in my life, my family and this football team, is for us to take the necessary steps to work together and to give them what I told them I’d give them, which the best version of me, and that’s what we’re going to do.
Vrabel has been accused of having an affair with the sports reporter over the past
Vrabel has been married to wife Jen for over two decades and shares two children with her
Russini also shares two children with husband Kevin Goldschmidt, whom she married in 2020
‘That’s going to start, that has started, and that’ll continue this weekend and it’ll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and to complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible.
‘My priorities are my family and this football team – and in that order – and there’s a balance there that I am going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be.’
Other than describing Page Six’s story as ‘laughable’ in an initial brief statement, Vrabel had been silent on the matter until ostensibly making himself accountable to the public at Tuesday’s press conference.
Asked about his initial ‘laughable’ comment, he admitted: ‘I think that was, you know, always an attempt to protect your family and I would never be dismissive.
‘But I think my family and this football team are the most important thing, and that’s that’s what I plan to do, and I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.’
He told reporters at the Patriots’ return to practice earlier this week he’d had ‘difficult conversations with people I care about – with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players’ in the wake of the scandal.
Vrabel and Russini have both denied any wrongdoing while insisting the photos of them hugging and hanging poolside are misleading.
Vrabel issued a groveling apology to his family just before the NFL Draft began on Thursday
Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic last week amid the ongoing Vrabel scandal
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.
In their own statement on Thursday night, the Patriots said: ‘We 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.’
