New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini, a top NFL reporter for the Athletic, were reportedly spotted at a luxurious hotel. The pair were seen at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona.
Exclusive photos appear to show them holding hands and hugging. The resort is set against the Brins Mesa mountain range.
Eyewitness Accounts Differ
According to one source, Vrabel and Russini had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. They allegedly spent about an hour together at the pool, lounging side-by-side in a hot tub.
The source also spotted Vrabel and Russini that evening on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows. The bungalows feature glass walls offering panoramic views and cost up to £1,700 a night.
The photos show the two hugging at sunset and weaving their fingers together. The source claims they briefly danced together. Three other eyewitnesses said that they did not see anyone else with Vrabel and Russini.
Denials and Explanations
Both Russini and Vrabel insist they were there with friends. They claim those friends simply weren’t visible in the pictures. A source close to Russini says she was staying at the hotel during a hiking trip with two female pals.
One of Vrabel’s friends told Page Six that they and the coach drove up to Sedona for the day with another pal. They all drove back to their own hotel, some two hours away, after hanging out with Russini and her gang.
One eyewitness, when asked if the Pats coach visited the hotel with a group of friends, said: “No, he was with a girl.”
Events Surrounding the Hotel Visit
Vrabel attended a scouting event at Arizona State University in Tempe on Friday, before travelling 125 miles to the Ambiente.
After being seen with Russini, Vrabel headed to the Biltmore hotel in Phoenix for a meeting of the NFL Competition Committee. This group of owners and coaches oversees the game’s rulebook.
Russini was among many NFL reporters at the Biltmore on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of last week when media had access to owners, executives and coaches.
The Athletic published a dispatch about the Biltmore meetings written by Russini and Jacob Robinson.
Russini has been one of the more prominent football reporters in the country for more than a decade and routinely covers the Patriots.
The adults-only Ambiente prides itself on being a romantic getaway. Its website boasts about the 158 proposals that took place and the thousands of anniversaries and honeymoons that have been celebrated at the hotel.