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New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic reported Dianna Russini have both issued statements after their photos of holding hands and hugging at a resort in Arizona went viral.
The two are married to separate partners and have denied any romantic involvement after they were pictured over the weekend.
Published by Page Six, the photos showed Mike and Diana holding hands and reportedly dancing together at the luxury resort.
The report claimed that the New England coach had been at a scouting event at Arizona State University in Tempe on Friday, March 27, before travelling to the hotel.
In a statement to the outlet, Mike Vrabel noted, "These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn't deserve any further response."
He notably celebrated his 26th wedding anniversary with wife Jen Vrabel last year, with whom he shares two children, Tyler, 25, who is the offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons, and Carter, 24.
Meanwhile, Diana has also issued a separate statement, claiming that she had been on holiday with a group of friends who were not pictured.
She said, "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."
Russini has two children with husband Kevin Goldschmit, an executive at Shake Shack.
Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, also spoke out on the photographs, noting, "These photos are misleading and lack essential context."
"These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we're proud to have her at The Athletic," he informed Page Six.
