A Night Out in Manhattan
Dianna Russini and her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, were seen enjoying a night out in Manhattan on Saturday, surrounded by a large group of friends at a bar near Madison Square Garden. The couple was celebrating before Bruce Springsteen’s latest show in the city, showing no signs of the recent scandal that had rocked their lives.
Last month, a series of bombshell pictures surfaced showing Russini holding hands with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona. This led to her resignation from her job as an NFL reporter at The Athletic. However, on Saturday, Russini and Goldschmidt were joined by around 10-15 friends at Bourbon and Branch Bar, a popular spot for fans gathering before shows at MSG.
A witness told Daily Mail that both Russini and Goldschmidt looked in good spirits. Their group was very excitable, sharing drinks and food as people gathered before the show. There was no indication that the couple was struggling after the scandal that continues to affect the NFL.
“They were having a great time,” the witness said. “They were having a blast with a big group of friends. Lots of food and drinks ordered to their table, and they were very carefree given everything that has gone on.”
Russini, who resides in New Jersey, where Springsteen is from, vehemently denied having an affair with Vrabel, who is also married. In her resignation letter to the New York Times-owned Athletic, she insisted she would not let her career be defined by the controversial pictures.
Vrabel, a married father of two, took a different approach when he finally addressed the media ahead of the NFL draft in late April. He stated, “I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about – my family, this football team, this organization, and our fans.” He later started counseling, missing day three of the draft and admitting he wanted to set a better example as a husband, father, and head coach.
Russini deleted her social media accounts before more pictures of her and Vrabel began to surface. The most damaging images appeared to show them getting intimate as far back as March 2020 at a bar in Tribeca, just a few miles from where she was relaxing with friends this Saturday.
Video footage also emerged of them going on a romantic boat trip that allegedly took place months before she gave birth to her first son. Russini and Vrabel reportedly hired a vessel for two or three hours in June 2021, when he was still coaching the Tennessee Titans and she was reporting on him for ESPN.
A source with knowledge of the rental confirmed that Vrabel and Russini were the only people on board, and this claim was supported by a signed company waiver reviewed by TMZ. Russini went on to give birth to her first of two sons, named Mike, in August 2021. TMZ reported that she named him after her brother, Michael Russini, not the now-Patriots coach.
Last weekend, another flirty clip of the pair emerged from a Barstool podcast episode in which Vrabel and Russini were pitted against each other in a Family Feud-style game. In it, Russini - who appears to be sitting on her bed - is asked: “Tell me something a man might do to get a woman in the mood.” Without hesitation, she replies, “Kiss her! This is good advice for you guys.” Vrabel, who has been married to his wife Jen for over two decades, then jumped in out of nowhere to respond: “I’m paying very close attention. I’m so excited.”
A clip also emerged from a 2021 episode of ESPN's Get Up, during which Russini discussed her marriage. “I’m married to someone average,” she said at the time. “I don’t post a lot about him. If I was married to someone beautiful, I’d over-post too.” Her ESPN co-hosts later gave Russini a chance to correct herself, to which she explained: “We’re average together.”
But on Saturday night, it seemed the couple were moving on from any problems from the last few weeks with one of the hottest tickets in town to see the final New York show of Springsteen’s sold-out tour.
Vrabel has recently returned to coaching with the Patriots, taking the first steps in building up to the 2026 NFL season. He has just overseen rookie minicamp, while excitement for football's return ramped up when the schedule dropped this week for the new campaign. The Patriots start their season with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks before hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers - who on Saturday night confirmed the return of Aaron Rodgers.
While Russini left her job with The Athletic, the Patriots have stood by Vrabel as their head coach. He has history with the team - he also won the Super Bowl three times as a player for the Patriots too.
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