New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has found himself at the center of a controversy just weeks before the NFL Draft, as photographs were recently shared online of the reigning AFC champion holding hands and relaxing poolside with The Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
Included in the photos originally published by the New York Post's Page Six on April 7 are Vrabel giving Russini a hug, interlocking fingers with her, sitting in a hot tub alongside her, and lounging on a chair next to her in a pool. The photos are reportedly from March 28 at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Arizona.
Now, The Athletic is reportedly investigating Russini's interactions with Vrabel, as well as performing a thorough once-over of her past reporting and preventing her from reporting while the investigation is active.
Before the investigation got underway, Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor of The Athletic, had previously said that the photos were "misleading and lack essential context.”
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel photographed with NFL reporter Dianna Russini
The pair was photographed together at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona. The Ambiente is an adults-only hotel that charges upwards of $2,000 per night for rooms.
Vrabel and Russini, both of whom are married, have put out statements denying anything more than cordial goings-on between professional acquaintances.
"The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," Russini told the New York Post. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
"These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," said Vrabel, who attended a scouting event at nearby Arizona State on March 27, and added, "This doesn’t deserve any further response."
Both insist that they were there with a group of other people who were not included in the photos.
The Patriots chose not to include Vrabel as part of their pre-draft conference on Monday. ESPN's Mike Reiss is reporting that Vrabel is likely not going to address reporters until after the NFL Draft.