New photos have surfaced that appear to show New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini kissing in a New York City bar in 2020.
The pair was reportedly “all over each other” in the now-closed TriBeCa Tavern on March 11, 2020 — social distancing be damned, according to Page Six. The photos show Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, kissing, holding hands and sitting close to each other at the bar.
“He had a ring on,” a source told the outlet in a story published Thursday, April 23.
Mike was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans at the time and had been married to his wife, Jen Vrabel, for more than 20 years. Russini was working for ESPN and was six months away from tying the knot with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt.
“They were having a glorious time. They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly,” the source added. “There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.”
The photos come while Mike and Russini remain wrapped up in controversy around their alleged relationship. Page Six first published photos earlier this month of the couple appearing to hold hands and wrap their arms around each other at an Arizona resort in March. They released additional photos allegedly of the pair eating breakfast together at the same resort.
Both Mike and Russini insisted the photos were innocent when the scandal first broke, with Russini adding that they were with a group of friends at the time. The supposed friends were not pictured and have not come forward as of Thursday.
Russini later resigned from her job at The Athletic amid an ongoing internal investigation. Mike has largely avoided the media since the story broke, but broke his silence during a pre-NFL Draft press conference on Tuesday, April 21, in which he said he had “difficult conversations” with his family and the Patriots organization.
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He then revealed on Wednesday, April 22, that he would miss the third day of this week’s NFL Draft so he could attend counseling.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” he said in a statement. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
The statement continued, “I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
