New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini have been in the eye of the storm since April 7, when Page Six published photos of the pair, who are both married to other people, hugging, holding hands, and lounging in a hot tub at the adults-only Ambiente hotel in Sedona, AZ.
Although both initially denied any inappropriate relationship, Russini went on to resign from The Athletic while under internal investigation and delete her X account, while Vrabel announced on Wednesday that he would miss day three of the draft to prioritize his family and seek counseling, coming close to admitting there was something more to their relationship but not quite saying it out loud.
That same Wednesday, Page Six released new photos of Russini and Vrabel at the resort. By Thursday, Page Six had photos of the pair kissing at an NYC bar in March of 2020, while TMZ shared a photo of them at a casino in 2024.
The continuous dribble of new photos led to speculation across social media that one of their spouses suspected an affair and hired a private investigator to look into the matter.
The reality is a lot more mundane.
Per TMZ Sports, a local couple was vacationing at Ambiente when the husband, a sports fan, instantly recognized Vrabel, who is pretty hard to miss, especially for NFL fans. The couple snapped the pics, which were subsequently shopped around to outlets for “four figures” before Page Six purchased them.
Asking “four figures” from TMZ/NY Post and not naming Russini in the sales pitch never quite added up to me, as discussed on the show today. Another guest randomly recognizing Vrabel, and the guest’s wife selling the photos, would explain it https://t.co/Wq2zAasqK4
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) April 24, 2026
Vrabel’s hulking figure may have eliminated the need for any private eye, but his and Russini’s worlds have been turned upside down all the same.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Thursday that, as things stood, Vrabel did not violate any personal conduct policy, meaning he’ll avoid disciplinary action from the league. However, there’s always the possibility that more photos or something else could drop that would change the equation.
In Russini’s case, her future as a reporter has become murky, and her past reporting has been called into question as well.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.