As Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel navigate the fallout of their controversial relationship, new photos and videos continue to emerge that shed light on their personal lives.
That includes a 2022 clip from ESPN’s Get Up, in which Russini, 43, imagined a scenario where her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, finds a “new wife” as an analogy for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being granted permission to seek a trade by the San Francisco 49ers.
“It’s essentially like my husband having his new wife coming into our house right now, introducing [her] to my little Mikey,” she said. “[She’s] the new mom, I leave and then he’s like, ‘Oh Di come back. Your cooking’s so good. We actually want to keep you here because you’re so great at that whole thing.’ I’d be like, ‘No it’s over. You’re done. You’re invested in the new one.’”
Russini and Goldschmidt married in 2020 and welcomed sons Micheal and Joey in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
The Get Up clip has taken on a new meaning as Russini remains connected to Vrabel, 50, after photos of them at an Arizona resort together went viral earlier this month. Since then, additional photos have surfaced of the couple kissing at a bar in New York City in 2020, and appearing together at a Mississippi casino in 2024.
Russini and Vrabel both insisted the photos were innocent when they were first published, but Vrabel has since apologized for his actions and vowed to attend counseling.
Russini’s only other comments on the scandal came in her resignation letter to The Athletic, which she shared publicly via her since-deleted X account.
“This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete,” she wrote in her letter, shared on April 14. “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.”
She continued, ”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.”
Vrabel did not mention Russini by name when he addressed the media before the first night of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23, but said he initially downplayed the controversy to spare his family. He also confirmed that he would miss day 3 of the Draft on Saturday, April 25, to attend counseling.
“That’s a private and personal matter,” Vrabel said. “I think that was an attempt to protect your family and I would never be dismissive. I think my family and this football team are the most important thing…I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.”
