Mike Vrabel addressed his past actions after a photo of him kissing Dianna Russini surfaced. He acknowledged that his behavior doesn't meet his own standards and will miss the Patriots draft work for counseling.
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New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed "previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to" on Thursday evening after Page Six shared an image showed him kissing former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini about six years ago.
“I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about," Vrabel told reporters, per Sleeper HQ's Carlos A. Lopez. "My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don’t."
MORE: Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini timeline, from photos to statements.
Vrabel's Thursday comments come after word broke that he will not attend Saturday's Patriots draft work to undergo counseling.
"My family needs me this weekend, and that's where I'll be," Vrabel told reporters, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Vrabel's mention of "previous actions" is the closest he's gotten to addressing the scandal that started with photos of him cozying up to Russini at an Arizona hotel in March.
Some time after the Page Six report surfaced on Thursday, Russini deactivated her X (Twitter) account. She also resigned from her job at last week.
Mike Vrabel stated that his previous actions do not meet the standards he holds himself to and took accountability for the distraction caused.
Mike Vrabel will miss the Patriots draft work to undergo counseling following the controversy surrounding the leaked kissing photo.
The timeline includes the leaked photo from six years ago and Vrabel's recent acknowledgment of his actions, which have drawn public attention.
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Ahead of Thursady night's first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, league commissioner Roger Goodell called the situation a personal matter for Vrabel, alluding there will not be an investigation on his conduct.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Mike Vrabel breaks silence after Dianna Russini kissing photo leaks