NEED TO KNOW
Newly released photos show Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini kissing in a New York City bar in March 2020
The Patriots head coach can be seen with his hand on Russini’s thigh in the images published by Page Six on Thursday, April 23
An insider who was at the bar told Page Six, “They were kissing and they were all over each other”
Newly-released photos show Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini kissing at a bar in 2020 — six years before the photo scandal that erupted earlier this month.
Photos published by Page Six on Thursday, April 23, show the New England Patriots head coach, 50, and Russini, 43, looking cozy in a dark bar called the Tribeca Tavern in New York City on March 10, 2020.
In one photo, the two appear to share a kiss, and another shows Vrabel wearing his wedding ring with his hand on Russini’s thigh.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” a source who was at the bar told Page Six, adding, “He had a ring on.”
Mike Vrabel; Dianna Russini
Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty
At the time the photos were taken, Vrabel, who married his wife Jen in 1999, was coaching the Tennessee Titans. Russini married her husband, Shake Shack exec Kevin Goldschmidt, six months later, in September 2020.
On Wednesday, April 22, Vrabel told ESPN that he’s seeking counseling amid the scandal.
“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 said in a statement to the outlet. “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.”
He continued to ESPN: “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.”
On April 21, Vrabel broke his silence during a Patriots press conference in which said he’s had “difficult conversations” with his family. “Thank you for your patience that you’ve shown in a personal and private matter for me and obviously everybody involved. I know that that’s not easy for you and I respect that and I appreciate that,” he said.
“I understand I could’ve addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday, very candidly,” Vrabel continued, noting that he doesn’t want his personal matter to “take away from the weekend of the Draft” or the “amazing journey” that the incoming rookies will begin this season.
“With that being said,” Vrabel continued, “I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.”
Russini, meanwhile, resigned from her position at The Athletic on April 14.
“This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete,” she said in her resignation letter, shared on X. “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. 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.”
Neither Vrabel nor Russini have denied having a relationship with each other.
PEOPLE has reached out to both for comment.
Read the original article on People