New exclusive photographs show New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini having breakfast together at a luxury Arizona resort last month, with an eyewitness claiming the pair appeared to take steps to avoid being seen walking side by side.
The images, obtained by Page Six and published Tuesday, were taken March 28 at the Ambiente resort in Sedona. An insider told the New York Post’s celebrity news outlet that Vrabel and Russini dined alone around 10:15 a.m. local time. Multiple eyewitnesses said they later spent about an hour together at the pool area and lounged side-by-side in a hot tub before briefly dancing while hugging at sunset, according to the report.
The same source alleged the two tried to go incognito throughout the day, walking separately to various spots around the resort.
“One of them would go ahead and then the other would wait for a few seconds or so, and then they would follow a few steps ahead,” the insider said. “It seemed as if they really didn’t want to be seen walking together.”
Both Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, are married to other people and have two children each. The new photos follow images published April 7 showing the pair holding hands and hugging at the same resort, which sits against the Brins Mesa mountain range.”
Vrabel and Russini have repeatedly described their interactions as innocent and said they were part of a larger group of friends at the resort, though multiple eyewitnesses told Page Six they did not see anyone else with the pair during the day.
In a statement after the initial photos surfaced, Vrabel said: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini, a former ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor and senior NFL insider at The Athletic, said at the time: “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
One week later, on April 14, Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic ahead of an internal investigation by its parent company, The New York Times. In her resignation letter, she said she was stepping aside “not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
Vrabel addressed the matter publicly for the first time Tuesday during a pre-NFL draft news conference at Gillette Stadium. He acknowledged having “difficult conversations” with his family and the organization but described the situation as a “personal and private matter.”
“What I can promise you is my family, this organization, this team, the staff, the coaches and the fans most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward,” he said.
Page Six has reached out to representatives for Vrabel and Russini for comment on the newly released photographs.
Flip the pages for the new photos of Russini and Vrabel at breakfast.
