NFL reporter Dianna Russini once said she was “skeptical” about her own wedding to Kevin Goldschmidt before she was photographed holding hands with Mike Vrabel.
In a resurfaced interview, Russini, 43, recalled the emotions she was feeling before exchanging vows with Golfschmidt in 2020.
“I think when men propose, that’s their wedding day. That’s when you guys are all in,” she shared on the Dan Le Batard Show. “It’s not really on for us yet. I think for women, the actual wedding day is the moment.”
“I mean, Kev was all down for it,” Russini continued. “I was the one that was very skeptical. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’”
At the time of her wedding, Russini was working for ESPN. She has since landed a job with The New York Times’ The Athletic, where she acts as the outlet’s lead NFL insider.
“The night before my wedding, I’m making calls and I had a phone interview set up with Jimmy Garoppolo. I remember Jimmy was great,” she recalled. “He made a funny joke like, ‘Hey, it’s the night before your wedding. You sure you want to do this?’ And I’m thinking of all the people in my life that I would have talked to the night before my wedding, the one guy my mom wanted me to marry was Jimmy Garoppolo and he’s calling me. This is a sign.”
Russini went on to marry Golfschmidt in September 2020 and celebrated with an intimate wedding during the coronavirus pandemic. The couple now share two sons.
Dianna Russini and Kevin Goldschmidt Courtesy of Dianna Russini/Instagram
Although Russini’s podcast interview was filled with humor, some listeners are now raising their eyebrows after the reporter was spotted holding hands and hugging Vabel, 50.
The pictures, which were published by Page Six on Tuesday, April 7, showed the New England Patriots head coach and Russini spending time together at the Ambiente Sedona resort in Arizona.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Mike, who shares two children with wife Jen Vrabel, told Page Six. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
In a separate statement, Russini added, “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.”
Russini’s employer also defended the reporter when they commented on the viral photos.
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, shared with Page Six: “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.”
