Married NFL coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini speak out after photos show them holding hands at luxury hotel

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini — both of whom are married — have issued statements after photos showed them holding hands and hugging at a luxury resort in Arizona. On Tuesday, PageSix published the photos showing Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona on Saturday, March 28. The football coach had attended a scouting event at Arizona State University in Tempe on Friday, March 27, before traveling to the hotel, the publication reported.

“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel — who celebrated his 26th anniversary with wife Jen Vrabel last year — said in a statement to Page Six . “This doesn’t deserve any further response. ” Vrabel and his wife share two children: Tyler (offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons), 25, and Carter, 24.

Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini were photographed holding hands and hugging at an Arizona resort last month (Getty) Mike Vrabel and Jen Vrabel (pictured with Patriots owner Robert Kraft in 2025) have been married since 1999 (Getty) Russini also shared a statement, where she insisted that the two of them were on a group holiday with friends who were not pictured. “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,” she said.

Russini shares two children with her husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt. A source close to the former ESPN anchor told PageSix she was staying at the hotel during a hiking trip with two female friends. “These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic , told PageSix .