The viral photos of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL insider Dianna Russini had a life of their own before they were even published.
The pictures of Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, were shopped around to other outlets before they ended up in Page Six on Tuesday, April 7, according to Front Office Sports.
Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, are pictured together at the Ambiente Sedona, a fancy resort in Sedona, Arizona, on March 28. The pair can be seen sunbathing together by the pool, linking fingers on a rooftop and sharing a hot tub.
An anonymous tipster initially reached out to TMZ about the photos, saying they had images of Vrabel and an unidentified woman. The individual in possession of the pictures apparently did not know who Russini was.
The tipster is “not from a known paparazzi or photo agency” and allegedly requested an unspecified sum in the “four figures.”
When TMZ looked at the photos, they were able to identify Russini. While they reportedly debated whether the photos were too “bedroom police-y,” Page Six went ahead and published.
Us Weekly has reached out to TMZ for comment.
The pictures have since taken the sports world by storm, but Vrabel and Russini have both issued statements saying there is nothing romantic happening between them.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini said in a statement to Page Six. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Vrabel added, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini has also received the support of her boss, The Athletic’s executive editor, Steve Ginsberg.
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”
Russini returned to social media on Thursday, April 9, but did not address the situation further. Instead, she shared a link to colleague Mike Jones’ story about replacement officials in the NFL.
“The NFL informed its teams about when they could expect to see replacement officials visiting facilities if a deal is not reached by next month, when the current CBA with the NFL Referees Association expires,” Russini wrote via X.
