Dianna Russini's Harsh Comment About Husband Resurfaces Amid Mike Vrabel Report
The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel were spotted holding hands and hugging at a luxurious hotel in Arizona.
Photos obtained by Page Six show the two embracing and then lounging in a pool together.
Russini and Vrabel, who are both married to other people, allegedly had breakfast on the patio of the hotel before "spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub."
A source told Page Six the two allegedly shared a brief dance together on the rooftop.
Dianna Russini's Comment About Husband Kevin Goldschmidt Resurface
In the wake of the report, Russini's old comment about her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, an executive at Shake Shack, resurfaced on social media.
"I think we all do weird things when we're in love. We overshare and over-post. I'm married to someone average. I don't post a lot about him. If I was married to someone beautiful, I'd over-post too," she said.
"I think we all do weird things when we're in love. We overshare and over-post. I'm married to someone average. I don't post a lot about him. If I was married to someone beautiful, I'd over-post too."
— Joe Kinsey (@JoeKinseyexp) April 8, 2026
Geesh, Dianna. pic.twitter.com/a0qwIs2k6U
Russini eventually joked that she needed to stop talking negatively about her husband otherwise the couple would be divorced by Christmas. The comments came just a few months after the couple married on Sept. 26, 2020.
More recently, Russini joked about her marriage "falling apart."
“You know who lets me know my marriage is falling apart? My mom," Russini joked in a Feb. 6 live taping of the Stugotz and Company podcast. “This is real.”
Russini recalled the moment her mother stopped over at their house and remarked about her husband, "He looks good."
“I go, ‘Yeah he doesn’t seem as stressed this year,’” she responded. “And she goes, ‘You know I’m starting to think he’s got a girlfriend, and you know what? Good for him. He looks good, he’s successful, his wife’s never around. You love this football thing. That’s why he looks good.’”
Dianna Russini Shared Photos of Her Family Month Before Rumors
Just a month before the report of Russini and Vrabel surfaced, the longtime NFL reporter shared photos of her husband and their two sons, Michael and Joey.
"Life lately before it gets whackier. Here comes Marchhhhh," she said in the caption of the photos showing the family together.
Dianna Russini, Mike Vrabel Deny Any Wrongdoing
Russini and Vrabel insisted they were on vacation with friends who simply weren’t visible in the pictures.
In a statement the Patriots coach said, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini suggested she was speaking with Vrabel in a journalistic sense.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," Russini said in the statement. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg made it clear the outlet believes Russini's side of the story and suggested the photos were "misleading" and lacked "essential context."
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context. These were public interactions in front of many people," he said. "Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at the Athletic.”
Dianna Russini Was Previously Accused of Having Affair
Just over a decade ago the wife of Washington Commanders (then known as the Redskins) general manager Scot McCloughan publicly accused Russini of having an affair with her husband.
After she reporter broke a story about Kirk Cousins replacing Robert Griffin III as the Redskins’ starting quarterback, Jessica McCloughan reportedly wrote on Twitter, “I’m pretty sure this info is coming from my husband to his new side chick, Dianna.”
She eventually deleted the tweet and her account and offered a strong public apology to Russini.
“I deeply apologize for the disparaging remarks about an ESPN reporter on my personal Twitter account. The comment was unfounded and inappropriate, and I have the utmost respect for both the reporter and ESPN,” she wrote at the time.
“I regret that my actions have brought undeserved negative attention to the Redskins organization and its leadership. My comments in no way reflect the opinions or attitudes of the organization and I regret that my behavior has in any way negatively impacted the team and its loyal fan base.”
ESPN offered its public support of Russini at the time.
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