Dianna Russini has found herself back in the spotlight after clips resurfaced of her admitting to using her contacts to get out of a speeding ticket.
Russini did an interview with the podcast “Stugotz and Company” shortly before her alleged affair with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel became public. During the interview, Russini told the hosts how she avoided a ticket after being pulled over by police.
Russini initially tried telling the officer that she was in the middle of breaking news about Sean McDermott getting fired, but the officer told her he was not a fan of the Buffalo Bills. After finding out who the officer’s favorite team was, she offered to connect him with that team’s head coach. (RELATED: Linda Cohn Plans To Retire From ESPN After 34 Years)
“Do you want to talk to the coach? You should talk to the coach,” Russini said. “I FaceTime the head coach. The head coach is in his office. He said, ‘What’s up?’ I go, ‘I just got pulled over and I just wanted you to meet my friend, Officer Joe.’”
The unnamed coach proceeded to help Russini get out of a ticket.
“The head coach played all into it. And he is like, ‘How you doing? You should let her go, she’s a good citizen.’”
The FaceTime left the police officer stunned and he let her go, according to Russini.
Through the laughter of the hosts, one remarked, “I wish I had that kind of access.”
WILD: Dianna Russini revealed she got out of a traffic ticket by FaceTiming the head coach of the officer’s favorite NFL team.
Russini: “What a nasty play… but it worked.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/rh1O9WRz5e
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) June 24, 2026
Two months later, Page Six released photos of Russini and Vrabel on a rooftop together. Both parties denied the alleged affair, but as more evidence began mounting, Russini resigned from her position as the highest-paid writer for The Athletic, and Vrabel checked himself into rehab.
The New York Times recently leaked text messages between Russini to an Athletic reporter in which she said, “This has had a significant impact on my life, both professionally and personally,” ending the text by referring to herself as a “former journalist.”
When the reporter told Russini portions of the text were going to be published, Russini wrote to Mr. Perpich, the publisher of The Athletic, as well as two senior editors at The Times, asking them to stop the text from going public. No agreement was ever reached that the texts were off the record, per The New York Times.
Russini has not made a public comment since April but was photographed kissing her husband outside their home on Mother’s Day.