Sports

Dianna Russini opens up about ‘nightmare’ Mike Vrabel scandal ahead of media return

Ahead of her return, Russini is breaking her silence on the Mike Vrabel scandal that led to her stepping away from the spotlight.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 2 sources•1 min read•Updated November 9, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC
Key points
  • Smith blames Dianna Russini distraction for Patriots’ slow start Russini went on to say that the entire scandal has helped strengthen her family bond.
  • Russini, who is married to Kevin Goldschmidt and shares two sons, recently spoke to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview to open up about how the entire situation impacted her family, calling it a “nightmare” while saying that lies were spun out of control.
  • Nothing’s going to break us.’” It’s going to be interesting to see what Russini’s new show consists of, but because she gave the exclusive interview to People, it’s unlikely she will address the Vrabel situation again.

MORE: Dianna Russini’s next job appears to leak by internet sleuth Dianna Russini Speaks Out on Vrabel Scandal ESPN’s Dianna Russini photographed for (201) Magazine at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, NJ on Aug.

Additional details
  • Feb 10, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dianna Russini appears on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater.
  • Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters) “The best way to describe what the last six months were like for me is heartbreaking,” Russini said.
  • Russini ultimately stepped down from The Athletic after photos of her and the New England Patriots head coach were cozying up at a resort in Arizona.
  • In the meantime, what we do know is that Russini’s show will stream weekly on BetUS TV’s website and X account beginning Wednesday at 12:00 p.m.
  • “But through it, I did get an opportunity to not just learn about myself, but my family and our priorities, and maybe some decisions and things I was doing in my career, and putting it before what I really wanted most, which was to be a mom.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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