An old comment made by ESPN personality, Steve Levy, has left many wondering if Dianna Russini also had an alleged affair with Mike Tomlin amid the Mike Vrabel controversy.
The media has been having a field day ever since the Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel controversy broke. While both Mike and Dianna are public figures, they began drawing massive attention after Page Six released a set of photos showing the duo being affectionate with each other, including holding hands, hugging, and lounging together. The pictures were reportedly taken at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona.
Speculations about Mike and Dianna cheating on their respective spouses with each other intensified further when the outlet once again released new snaps where the New England Patriots' head coach can be seen kissing the former The Athletic NFL reporter. Now, an old remark on social media has emerged, which has led many to question if Dianna was also having an affair with former Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, at the time.
Recently, an old social media remark about Dianna Russini, Mike Vrabel and Mike Tomlin has resurfaced, adding a new layer to the ongoing controversy. While it had initially appeared as a normal exchange during a difficult pandemic-era broadcast, fans are now reexamining it in a different light. The comment in question was made by longtime ESPN personality, Steve Levy, on X (formerly Twitter) on October 25, 2020. It read, “Good job @sam_ponder pointing out how near impossible it is in 2020 to get a pregame interview with an NFL head coach and @diannaESPN gets both Tomlin and Vrabel.”
To provide some context for Steve Levy's comment, at the time, Dianna Russini had successfully secured interviews with both Mike Vrabel and Mike Tomlin for a Sunday NFL segment in 2020. This was viewed as something really rare owing to the strict COVID-19 restrictions. The same was also openly acknowledged by Samantha Ponder, who talked about how hard it is for reporters to land such interviews.
Now that the latest reports and their kissing pictures suggest both Dianna and Mike already shared a personal connection months before that broadcast, it has raised uncomfortable questions about how exclusive access is earned in sports journalism. Was Dianna truly a reporter who was just that good at doing her job, or did her relationships provide her with opportunities which others could only dream of? A user on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out:
“A ‘near impossible’ Sunday-morning interview is certainly strong evidence that ESPN benefited from the affair and Russini covered Vrabel's Titans for ESPN for an additional three seasons after that.”
Be it because of the alleged affair or not, the fact that Dianna could successfully score interviews with Mike Vrabel was indeed praised by ESPN executives. For instance, in 2021, Bill Hofheimer, Vice President at ESPN, tweeted, “@diannaESPN has covered the #Titans closely all season. Good get just now…an interview a few hours from kickoff w/ head coach Mike Vrabel on #NFL Countdown. #BALvsTEN.” Additionally, journalist, Pablo Torre also highlighted how rumours about Mike and Dianna had already been circulating quietly for years.
Recently, on April 23, 2026, Page Six shared some intimate photos of Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel. In it, the duo can be seen having an intimate conversation at a dimly lit bar in Manhattan, New York. In one of the pictures, Mike can also be seen leaning towards Dianna's face and seemingly kissing her. It is believed that these photos were taken seven months prior to Dianna's aforementioned interview with Mike Vrabel. Eyewitnesses who were present at the bar and saw Mike and Dianna said:
“They were kissing, and they were all over each other. He had a ring on.”
What are your thoughts on Steve Levy's old comment about Dianna Russini's interview with Mike Vrabel and Mike Tomlin? Let us know.
Also read: Dianna Russini's Old Comment About Sean Payton Surfaces Amid Mike Vrabel Controversy, 'He's In Love'