Mike Vrabel said he was prioritizing his family when addressing his photo scandal with Dianna Russini Thursday, a notable change from when he initially told Page Six that the hotel pics of the two hugging and holding hands were “laughable” and not worth a response.
Vrabel spoke to reporters at a pre-NFL Draft press conference, when he was asked how he went from laughing the pics off two weeks ago, to telling ESPN Wednesday that he was seeking counseling.
“That’s a private and personal matter. I don’t think that those comments …I think that was, I’m always gonna attempt to protect your family,” he said. “I would never be dismissive but I think my family and this football team are the most important thing and that’s what I plan to do, and I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.”
Vrabel, 50, initially told Page Six about the hotel pics taken at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
And Russini, 43, told us, “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.”
On Thursday, Page Six published photos of the two kissing at a New York City bar in March 2020 — six years before the hotel photos, and six months before Russini married her now-husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt,
The New England Patriots coach and the NFL reporter were spotted together inside the dimly lit Tribeca Tavern on March 11, 2020, where they sat close to each other while having a conversation at the bar, at one point appearing to share a kiss.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told Page Six. “He had a ring on.”
This story is developing…
