Fans were surprised when photos of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic’s Diana Russini enjoying some free time together went viral online, especially since both are married.
The photos, which were shared by Page Six, led to rampant speculation on social media about whether their relationship was purely platonic or if there were romantic undertones.
“A Page Six spy tells us that the pair — both married to other people — had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, before spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub,” Page Six reported.
“Our spy spotted Vrabel and Russini again that evening on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows, which feature glass walls offering panoramic views of the state’s famed Red Rock formations.”
For their part, both Vrabel and Russini released statements denying any sort of romantic entanglements.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel said, via the NY Post. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Now, the story has a new wrinkle, with Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel and Michael McCarthy reporting that both the photos were shopped to other outlets, such as TMZ, before being published by Page Six.
“An anonymous tipster reached out to the outlet, saying that Vrabel was hanging out with an unidentified woman,” the FOS report states. “When TMZ staffers evaluated the photos, they eventually realized that it was Russini. The anonymous tipster was not from a known paparazzi or photo agency, and requested an unspecified sum in the ‘four figures.’ As TMZ’s newsroom deliberated whether this was a legitimate story or too ‘bedroom police-y,’ the Post’s Page Six vertical ran with it, rendering the debate moot, a source said.”
There’s nothing indicating a romantic relationship between the pair, but it’s interesting to have it confirmed that other outlets didn’t move to break the story immediately.
It’ll be interesting to see if the story goes anywhere from here.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.