Dianna Russini Makes Dramatic Social Media Move As Mike Vrabel Allegations Swirl

Draft week was supposed to be about prospects and depth charts. Instead, a very off-field story jumped to the front: former Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini has wiped her X account, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is publicly saying he is starting counseling. The timing? All of it hit right as Vrabel did his pre-draft press conference.

What changed this week

On Thursday, April 23, users noticed that Russini, 43, had deleted her X account. That happened right as Vrabel, 50, spoke to reporters before the draft and repeated that he is seeking counseling as new photos of the two of them keep surfacing. The Patriots issued a statement backing him, and he framed his priorities as family first, then the team.

How we got here

Earlier this month, Page Six posted pictures of Russini and Vrabel at a resort in Sedona, Arizona. The images showed them looking close by a pool. Both are married to other people. At first, they said the photos were being misread. Then The Athletic opened an internal review, and Russini resigned.

Since then, more images have circulated online. Some appear to show Russini and Vrabel kissing and holding hands at a New York City bar back in 2020. Another shows them together at a Mississippi casino in 2024. None of this is about football, obviously, but it explains why this is not going away quietly.

• Early April: Page Six runs poolside photos of Russini and Vrabel at a Sedona resort; both say nothing inappropriate happened.
• Mid-April: The Athletic starts an internal review; Russini resigns.
• April 14: Russini posts her resignation letter on X; she notes her contract was set to run through June 30.
• After that: Additional images surface online, including ones that appear to show them kissing and holding hands at a NYC bar in 2020, and another of them together at a Mississippi casino in 2024.
• April 23 (Thursday): Russini’s X account disappears; Vrabel reiterates he is seeking counseling during his pre-draft presser.

What Russini said on her way out

Russini has mostly stayed quiet since the scandal blew up. The last notable thing she posted, before deleting X, was her April 14 resignation letter. In it, she pushed back on the online pile-on and said she did not want to keep reliving this in public.

"This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. 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."

What Vrabel and the Patriots are saying

Vrabel has not addressed Russini directly in public, but the team is standing behind him as he tries to stabilize things at home and at work. The Patriots called out his decision to focus on his family and well-being, and Vrabel said he is taking steps he would recommend to one of his own players.

"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. 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."

Where this leaves things

As of now: Russini has gone dark on X. Vrabel says counseling starts this weekend. New images keep popping up from different years and places, which is why this keeps snowballing. The timing could not be more awkward for the Patriots, who would rather talk about draft boards than tabloid-style storylines. But here we are.