NFL insider Dianna Russini once interviewed New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel about his wife, Jennifer Vrabel, prior to their ongoing scandal.
“Your wife is a superb athlete,” Russini, 43, told Mike, 50, in a resurfaced clip from The Athletic, before the coach corrected her, “I would say, [Jen] used to be [a superb athlete].”
The 2025 offseason interview featured playful banter between Russini and Mike about his spouse, who played for Ohio State’s volleyball team from 1993 to 1996.
“Maybe ‘used to be’, but she has still got it in her the way you do,” Russini said of Jen’s athletic prowess.
Russini pivoted to ask whether there was a sport where Jen could beat her husband, to which he answered “ping pong.”
“Have you ever done it with her?” a surprised Russini asked.
Once Mike admitted he gets “too aggressive” while playing sports, Russini jumped in to agree, “Yeah, I can see that.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Russini and the New England Patriots for comment.
Controversy has swirled over the nature of Russini and Mike’s relationship since Page Six published photos of them holding hands at a boutique hotel in Sedona earlier this month. Both are married to other people. (Mike and Jen have been married since 1999 and share two sons: Tyler and Carter. Russini and Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt tied the knot in 2020 and share sons Michael, 4, and Joey, 3.)
Mike initially responded in a statement, claiming that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sedona photos.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel said at the time. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini offered a similar explanation in her own statement, saying, “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.”
Both were supported by their employers at first, though Russini ultimately resigned from The Athletic on April 14 while the outlet was conducting a review of her conduct.
“This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept,” she said. “Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so 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.”
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ben Strauss revealed on Saturday, April 18, that Mike would not face a review under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Nevertheless, the scandal continued to steal focus from the Patriots’ preparation for the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
Mike spoke to reporters for the first time on Tuesday, April 21, to admit that he’d had “some difficult conversations” with “my family, the organization, the coaches, the players” in recent days.
“Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me,” he insisted.
Mike was asked directly about Russini, but would only say, “I respect and I appreciate every single question, but I’m not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that.”
With the draft looming, multiple photos of Mike and the NFL insider resurfaced, showing them appearing to kiss at a New York City bar in March 2020 and spending time together at a Mississippi casino in January 2024.
In light of the scandal, Mike confirmed that he will miss the third day of the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 25, to undergo counseling.
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“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,” Vrabel told ESPN on Wednesday, April 22. “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 coach once again spoke to the media on draft night to reiterate that he was focused primarily on his family.
“My priorities are my family and my football team… My family needs me this week and that’s where I’ll be,” he said.
