Dianna Russini and her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, were spotted sharing a tender moment over the weekend, marking the first time the couple has been seen in public since rumors surfaced about the reporter’s alleged involvement with Mike Vrabel. This drew the attention of Cam Newton, who didn’t let the situation go unnoticed.
Cam Newton Claims Dianna Russini Is Desperate Over Mike Vrabel Scandal
During a segment of his podcast “4th&1,” the former Carolina Panthers quarterback said that Russini “needs to stop” trying to turn her public image into something positive with last weekend’s behavior, amid the embarrassing situation involving the New England Patriots’ head coach.
In images obtained by Page Six, Russini is seen holding one of her young children while exchanging a kiss with Goldschmidt in front of the family’s home. The Shake Shack executive was also seen wearing his wedding ring. According to close sources, the family has shown signs that they do not intend to isolate themselves from social life.
“I’m saying to myself, hold on, Diana, you need to stop it,” Newton said. “You need to stop.
She has to be stopped.” The former NFL MVP then brought up the fact that Russini’s son is named Michael, which was reportedly used due to the name of her brother rather than due to Vrabel. Newton believes Russini could have used any other name for her son, but using Michael was not right.
“This is a sign of desperation, this is the old Hail Mary Doug Fluty,” Newton added. “And out of all the photographers and the pictures… Kevin, this got to be AI [the picture].”
Newton then talked about how Russini’s husband should simply not forgive her. “The same way that you embarrass me, the same way I need you to apologize,” he added. “That’s just me. That’s why it’s questionable. But are you sorry because that’s how you really feel? Or are you sorry because you got caught?”
Remembering The Impact Of The Scandal On Russini And Vrabel’s Careers
Even after the NFL Draft and amid the official release of the schedule, the scandal involving Russini and Vrabel remains one of the most talked-about topics behind the scenes in the NFL, given the gravity of the situation that has dominated the news and, above all, social media.
The whole controversy began when photos of Russini and Vrabel at a luxury resort in Arizona were published. The images showed the two in intimate moments (holding hands and hugging), which sparked speculation about an affair, since both are married.
At the time, Mike Vrabel dismissed the insinuations as “laughable” and stated that the gathering was entirely innocent, while Russini claimed the photos were of a group of six friends and that journalists frequently interact with sources outside the workplace.
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However, the situation worsened when new images and videos from previous years (2020 to 2024) began to surface in the media and on social media. Among the footage were photos of them at a bar in New York in 2020 and a video of a boat trip in 2021, the latter taken when Russini was pregnant.
Faced with all the embarrassment, Russini resigned from her position as a senior NFL “insider” at The Athletic (part of the New York Times group) in April 2026, amid internal investigations into possible ethical violations. Meanwhile, Vrabel announced that he would step back from certain activities (such as the final day of the NFL Draft) to “seek counseling” and focus on his family.
