New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini were photographed in an intimate moment at a New York City bar in 2020, years before a recent scandal involving the pair emerged, according to images obtained by Page Six.
The photographs show the two at Tribeca Tavern in the early hours of March 11, 2020, where an eyewitness said they were “all over each other,” the outlet said. At the time, Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans and Russini was a reporter for ESPN. Vrabel was married to his wife, Jen, and Russini was six months away from marrying her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt.
According to an eyewitness, the pair stayed at the bar for at least an hour and appeared to share multiple kisses.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” the source told Page Six, noting that Vrabel was wearing a wedding ring during the outing. The images show the pair sitting close to each other in the dimly lit tavern at midnight.
The 2020 photographs surfaced following images released earlier this month showing the two holding hands and hugging at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona, on March 28. Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic on April 14 while the company was conducting an investigation into the matter. In her resignation letter, Russini defended her professionalism, stating she refused to let the “media frenzy” define her career.
Vrabel addressed the situation this week by announcing he would miss the third day of the NFL draft to seek counseling.
“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,” Vrabel said in a statement 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.”
Both Vrabel and Russini previously issued statements describing their Arizona interactions as innocent and part of a larger group outing with friends, Page Six noted. Russini stated that “reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues,” while Vrabel called suggestions of a scandal “laughable.”
Neither Vrabel nor Russini provided additional comments regarding the newly surfaced photos from 2020. The Athletic’s investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: New photos surface of Mike Vrabel, Dianna Russini at bar in 2020: report