Dianna Russini Deletes X Account After Fallout From Mike Vrabel Photo Scandal
The social media page tied to Russini was inactive as of Thursday, April 23
Dianna Russini; Mike Vrabel Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty; Wesley Hitt/Getty NEED TO KNOW An X account belonging to Dianna Russini was no longer active as of Thursday, April 23 Earlier that day, photos of Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a bar in 2020 emerged The former Athletic reporter has been at the center of a media firestorm in recent weeks after a batch of photos published April 7 showed her hugging and holding hands with Vrabel at a luxury resort in Arizona The X account belonging to Dianna Russini has been scrubbed as of Thursday, April 23, the same day a new series of photos featuring the former Athletic reporter with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel dating back to 2020 emerged. The images, published earlier in the day Thursday by Page Six, showed Russini and Vrabel hanging out together at a New York City bar in March 2020, when they were seen "kissing," according to the report — six years before photos of the two holding hands and hugging at a luxury Arizona resort , published by the outlet on April 7, ignited a scandal. Russini and Vrabel, who are separately married, denied any wrongdoing to Page Six following the April 7 release of the images.
"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," said Russini, who married husband Kevin Goldschmidt , a Shake Shack executive, in September 2020. Dianna Russini on the NFL sidelines in March 2020 Credit: Thomas Campbell/XFL via Getty Russini, 43, and Goldschmidt have two sons together.
In the wake of the first batch of photos being released, The New York Times reported April 11 that The Athletic, a Times -owned outlet, was launching an investigation. Russini resigned from her position days later on April 14. Vrabel, who is entering his second season as the Patriots' head coach, took "accountability" for his behavior after the release of Thursday's photos, which came hours before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft.
"I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about," Vrabel, 50, told reporters. "My family, this football team, the organization and the fans. " The former NFL linerbacker-turned-coach will miss the third and final day of this year's draft on Saturday, April 25 as he seeks counseling — a move the Patriots "fully support.