Mike Vrabel and his wife, Jen, put on a united front while celebrating their son’s engagement following the NFL coach’s scandal with reporter Dianna Russini.
The New England Patriots head coach and Jen were all smiles as they posed in a family shot with their son Tyler and his fiancée, Mariah Romano, via an Instagram photo shared by the engaged couple on Sunday.
“The most perfect engagement surrounded by the people I love most,” Romano captioned the post.
Mike, 50, and Jen, who wed in 1999, stood on separate sides of the couple and were also joined by their youngest son, Carter.
The pair’s appearance comes after they attended a 24-hour emergency marriage summit in April when photos of Mike cozying up with Russini, 43, were published. The summit occured mid-NFL draft, as Vrabel previously announced he would be skipping Day 3 to seek counseling.
At the time, they flew to Park City, Utah, and were seen dining at the Park City hotel, appearing “cordial and talkative” but “not overly flirty,” an insider told Page Six.
Earlier that month, Mike found himself entangled in a scandal after Page Six published snaps of him and Russini holding hands and hugging at the Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona.
They were also seen hanging out at a pool together, though the duo denied being alone and insisted they were with friends.
Russini, who is married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, told us she was at the resort with two friends on a hiking trip, while Mike stated he drove to the hotel with a pal to hang out with the reporter and her crew.
Vrabel initially told Page Six about the hotel pics: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
And Russini told us, “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.”
However, later, Vrabel spoke to reporters at a pre-NFL Draft press conference and said, “I take accountability for my actions and for the actions that caused distraction to the people that I care most about — my family, this football team, the organization and the fans.”
He was supported by his team, which stated: “The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being.”
As for Russini, she stepped down from her position at the Athletic, but stated, “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” in a letter.
The scandal continued to unfold beyond the initial Arizona photos. In mid-April, additional photos of Mike and Russini kissing at the Tribeca Tavern in New York City in 2020 were leaked.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an insider told us.
The drama continued to grow, as 2021 photos of Mike and Russini on a private boat in Putnam County, Tennessee, were released.
At the time, the journalist was pregnant with her first child, Michael, with Goldschmidt, whom she married in 2020.
Russini and Goldschmidt, however, appeared to be going strong since the scandal, as they were seen kissing on Mother’s Day in May.
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