
It's no secret that NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel have dominated the headlines this offseason.
On April 7, Page Six shared photos of Russini and Vrabel at a hotel in Arizona. Although he initially slammed all the "laughable" rumors about them, Vrabel briefly left the Patriots to undergo counseling. Some fans thought that'd be the last of this saga, but TMZ wanted to get in on the action.
Earlier this week, TMZ released a video from June 2021 that shows Russini and Vrabel enjoying a boat day in Tennessee.
“The timing of that outing might raise a few eyebrows, because Russini was pregnant at the time with her first child. Documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show both signed the company waiver before heading out on a lake … and our source says there was no visible PDA before they departed,” TMZ reported. “We’re also told Vrabel and Russini appeared cautious about photos being taken, and while she declined to pose at all with the staff … Vrabel agreed to snap one pic, but allegedly asked that no images be publicly posted.”
Former ESPN star Max Kellerman made it known this week that he's not thrilled with the way certain media members are covering this scandal.
During the latest edition of his "Game Over" podcast, Kellerman explained that the coverage surrounding Russini and Vrabel has put their spouses and children in an uncomfortable situation.
"The three percent of the teams she covers, there’s some kind of bias that might show up, who knows how, but whatever. Ok. I’m willing to say that’s true, that’s legitimate. But that’s not why people are covering this story. They’re using that as a bull—- excuse to be titilated by an affair," Kellerman said, via Awful Announcing. "It’s so disgusting to me because, especially the latest. It comes across my reels, and I’ve worked with Dianna Russini, I haven’t worked with Mike Vrabel. But it’s on my reels so I can’t avoid it. And there’s pictures and the press is trying to create a timeline where when they might have been cheating. So without regard to how this affects their spouses, their children, they’re putting these families through hell under the guise of journalistic integrity and ethics where in fact that is just an excuse to put out salacious stuff. Shame on the media for covering it the way they are."
Despite all the backlash that Vrabel has received online, there's zero indication that he'll be disciplined by the NFL. The Patriots, meanwhile, have already offered their full support to the reigning Coach of the Year.
“I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready,” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said. “I know he’s got the right mindset, and I know he’s a great human being. I think he’s … like I said, I love playing for him.”
As for Russini, she hasn't said anything since resigning from The Athletic on April 14.
“This is her story to share when she feels like sharing it,” Jon 'Stugotz' Weiner said, via Awful Announcing. “It is not me. And it is not my obligation to talk to Dianna Russini privately on the phone and then share it with a radio audience that she doesn’t want me to share it with, because it’s not my story to tell. It’s her story to tell on her timeline.”
If we had to guess, this story is far from over.
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