Remarkable video footage has emerged of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini arriving for their romantic boat trip that allegedly took place just months before she gave birth to her first son.
It first emerged on Wednesday night that Russini and Vrabel hired the vessel for two or three hours in June 2021, when he was still coaching the Tennessee Titans and she was reporting on him for ESPN.
A source with knowledge of the rental said Vrabel and Russini were the only people on board, and that claim was supported by a signed company waiver reviewed by TMZ.
Now the Daily Mail has obtained video footage of the couple walking along the dock of a private rental company near a lake in Putnam County, Tennessee. Russini can be seen strolling a few steps ahead of Vrabel.
But it is clear that Russini is pregnant at the time of the video when she turns around to speak to Vrabel. The pair were dressed for a day on the water, wearing T-shirts and shorts.
Vrabel and Russini were reportedly hesitant to have their pictures taken with fans that day. It has been alleged by TMZ that she declined to have a photo taken with fans, while he agreed on the condition that it not be posted online.
Mike Vrabel and a heavily pregnant Dianna Russini board a boat in Tennessee in June 2021
The pair are said to have been out on the water alone for between two and three hours
Russini gave birth to her first of two sons, named Mike, in August 2021. TMZ has reported that Russini named him after her brother, Michael Russini, not the now-Patriots coach.
Rumors of an affair between the two began in March when the New York Post published photos of the NFL insider and current New England Patriots head coach hugging and hanging poolside at an adults-only Arizona resort.
Although both initially denied cheating on their respective spouses, Vrabel has since apologized for his ‘actions,’ while stopping short of specifically admitting to an affair.
The married father of two adult sons briefly stepped away from the Patriots during April’s NFL Draft to go through counseling with his family.
The Post has since published photos of Vrabel and Russini enjoying breakfast together at the aforementioned Arizona resort and other pictures showing the two kissing at a New York bar, reportedly, in March of 2020.
Russini and her husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, were married in September 2020. Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999.
Furthermore, the Daily Mail has also published photos of Vrabel with Russini at a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino in January of 2024.
In April, Vrabel addressed the media and announced he would miss the third day of the NFL Draft to attend a counseling session with his family.
Footage has emerged of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini arriving for a boat trip in June 2021
Russini and husband Kevin Goldschmidt were married in New Jersey in September 2020
‘I understand that there are questions, but I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about, my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,’ Vrabel said prior to the first round of the NFL Draft.
‘That’s going to start, that has started, and that’ll continue this weekend and it’ll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and to complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible.
‘My priorities are my family and this football team – and in that order – and there’s a balance there that I am going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be.’
The Russini-Vrabel fallout is still permeating the NFL and The Athletic, where she worked until her recent resignation.
Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor at the website, finally addressed the matter during a late-April meeting with staff by admitting his messaging on the matter could have been better.
He also mentioned the investigation into Russini’s journalism, which was previously reported by the Daily Mail and other outlets. That probe is being led by standards and editorial quality editor Mike Semel and it is expected to be lengthy, according to Front Office Sports.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades and they have two children
Drake Maye doubled down on his defense of Vrabel amid his coach’s scandalous affair
It comes after Patriots quarterback Drake Maye doubled down on his defense of Vrabel amid reports of the affair.
On Wednesday, Maye called Vrabel ‘a great human being’ and insisted he doesn’t think his off-field problems will be a distraction this upcoming season.
‘No, I don’t,’ Maye said on Wednesday following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, in which he was paired with PGA Tour pro Gary Woodland at Quail Hollow.
‘I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.’