NFL insider Dianna Russini posted an Instagram carousel of photos with her husband and kids just weeks before pictures emerged of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
“Life lately before it gets whackier,” she wrote in the caption on March 8 alongside photos of her kids and husband, Kevin Goldschmidt. “Here comes Marchhhhh.”
Page Six published a series of photos on Tuesday, April 7, showing Russini, 43, and Vrabel, 50, spending time together. In one photo, they can be seen clutching each other’s hands and in another, their arms are wrapped around each other.
Both individuals have downplayed the controversy around the photos, which were reportedly taken two weeks ago at a plush resort in Sedona, Arizona.
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“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told Page Six on Tuesday. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini added to the outlet. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The Athletic, which Russini writes for, also released a statement to defend their reporter.
“These were public interactions in front of many people,” executive editor Steven Ginsberg said in a statement. “Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”
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Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Vrabel and Russini for comment.
Vrabel shares two children with Jen, his wife of 25 years. Russini and Goldschmidt, also share two kids.
Russini reflected on her marriage to Goldschmidt in a 2022 post via Instagram.
“2 years today was the best day of my life — when I married Kev in front of our family and dozens of friends over Zoom,” Russini wrote, recalling her wedding, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s you and only you, for me, forever.”
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Jen opened up to ESPN in a 2019 interview about how she and Mike balance family life with the demanding schedule of an NFL head coach.
“Fridays are always our nights because we have a teenage son that doesn’t want to hang out with Mom and Dad, so he goes to high school football games,” Jen said. “It’s fun. He’s usually home earlier, and we grab dinner. When he coached in college, he really didn’t have a night like that, so we cherish that night. It was the same when he played. Fridays were always the best. It became like a date night or family night.”
