New England Patriots Owner ‘Tried to Kill’ Story of Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s Alleged Affair With Dianna Russini (Exclusive)

Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, tried to stop the New York Post from publishing shocking photos of head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, according to multiple sources.

“Robert Kraft intervened and had his honchos pressure The Post before they published and tried to kill the story,” a source exclusively tells In Touch. “The Post gave Vrabel a longer time to respond than what is considered industry norms, and Kraft took advantage of that extended timeframe to put pressure on the reporter and the newspaper. A notorious crisis strategist made the call but was unsuccessful in neutering the story.”

The New York Post published an article reported by Oli Coleman and titled, “New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel and top NY Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini hold hands and hug at luxury hotel,” on Tuesday, April 7, alongside damning photos of the two at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona.

Despite denying any untoward actions, the longtime NFL reporter resigned from her role at The Athletic amid an internal investigation into her relationship with the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year.

“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,” she told The Post.

For his part, Vrabel claimed the photos showed a “completely innocent interaction.”

Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people.

The NFL is not reviewing Vrabel’s actions, according to ESPN.