Sportswriter Dianna Russini, 43, has made her next move as she and NFL coach Mike Vrabel’s alleged scandalous affair continues to unravel.
At the beginning of April, pictures surfaced of the two married individuals holding hands and hugging at Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona.
Viral photos show the pair enjoying breakfast together and later relaxing by the pool. Initially, they tried to shut down claims of infidelity, but roughly two weeks later, more shocking photos came to light.
Page Six released images of them hanging out at a bar and kissing back in 2020.
Their meeting took place six months before Russini got married to Shake Shack executive, Kevin Goldschmidt.
Vrabel, 50, on the other hand, was already married to college sweetheart Jen Vrabel and has been since 1999.
Vrabel is seeking counseling and taking time away from the team, as he said in a statement last week.
Since then, Russini, who had been a longtime reporter for The Athletic, which is a New York Times outlet, has retreated.
By Wednesday, April 22, she deleted her X account and made her Instagram page of 203k followers private.
This comes after she resigned from the Athletic on April 14 following The New York Times investigation into her conduct.
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini wrote.
“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.”
Vrabel has not publicly admitted to infidelity. But he claimed that his actions do not reflect the standards he holds himself to.
THIS IS WILD…
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) April 23, 2026
March 11th, 2020: new photos merged of #Titans HC Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini kissing at a bar in New York City.
March 15th, 2020 Russini reported that Tennessee was not not interested in Tom Brady and wanted to bring back Ryan Tannehill.
This is madness 😳 pic.twitter.com/OQm2nT3HX7
Ahead of the NFL draft last week, Vrabel addressed reporters on Thursday, April 23.
“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 is the best version of me and that’s what we’re going to do.”
“That has started, that’ll continue this weekend, and it’ll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible,” Vrabel added.
With new updates that Russini has deleted X and gone private, fans have their own opinions.
One person on Page Six wrote, “She knew he was married, but still fooled around. No women of class does this. Delete her 100%.” “She knew,” blasted another, pointing to their marriages.
Many pointed out the double standards of the situation.
“Now she’s out of a job, out of a career while he gets to attend the draft and go to counseling in the same week,” said a person. Another said, I don’t understand why get married literally 6 months later? “
Someone else on NY Post Sports page warned Russini’s husband to “Test the kids..”
Russini and Goldschmidt welcomed their first child together in 2021, and his name is Michael Andrew. Their second son, born in 2022, is named Joseph “Joey” Kevin.
Vrabel has two sons with his wife. His first son, Tyler Vrabel, 25, played on the Boston College Eagles team as an offensive tackle. Tyler is now an assistant coach for that team.
Carter Vrabel, 24, attended Tennessee Tech University and studied interdisciplinary studies. It’s not clear what he does professionally.
So far there has been no response about the situation from Vrabel’s wife or two sons. Russini’s husband has not responded either.
Vrabel returned to work Monday, April 27, after skipping the first three days of the NFL draft.
“Quickest family counseling session in history,” wrote Jemele Hill on X. Her followers piled on with jokes about Mike’s “treatment,” wondering if he was healing from cheating.
One person sarcastically wrote, “I won’t cheat anymore. Alright, we good? That is how I envisioned that going.”
But Dianna did not return to any office but her home, and so did a reporter who was canned for blasting her online.
A former USA Today reporter named Chrissy Froyed took public shots at Russini after learning of her resignation.
She was then fired by USA Today for her statements. The outlet stated, “Her recent statements do not reflect [their] commitment to professionalism or uphold [their] principles of ethical conduct.”
Froyed responded to Dianna’s firing and said, “I struggle to understand the positioning here after that was published,” she said after her firing. “But that apparently I as an independent contractor cannot make my own statements on my own social media accounts.”
