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Police body camera footage appeared to refute a claim made by former NFL reporter Dianna Russini earlier this year about what she did to get out of a traffic ticket.
Russini, whose relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel led her to resign from her position at The Athletic in April, said on “Stugotz and Company” in February that she FaceTimed with the NFL coach, though she did not mention the name, of the official’s favorite team after she was stopped for being on the phone.
It was a story that resurfaced during the New York Times’ deep dive into the Russini-Vrabel controversy, and now police body camera footage has confirmed that was not the case. However, he did mention the name of a coach.
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ESPN reporter Dianna Russini watches during the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 2018. (Mark Alberti/Sportswire Icon)
The footage lasted just over seven minutes, when Russini was arrested in Ridgewood, New Jersey, for using her phone while driving. Not only did a FaceTime never occur, but no call occurred during the exchange between Russini and the officer.
What did happen, however, was that Russini showed the officer the text messages he had been receiving with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and showed the officer his phone with the text messages.
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“I’m an NFL reporter and I just reported that Seam McDermott was fired from the Bills,” Russini told the officer almost immediately, understanding why she was being detained. “I was going to stop because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I’m just telling you why. It was a work thing and it was an emergency for what I do.”
McDermott was fired the morning of Jan. 19, which was the date shown on the body camera footage, after the Bills’ AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos.
The officer responded that Russini had been on the phone “for a while” before stopping her, although he acknowledged she had a job to do.
Russini continued, telling the official that former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll “wants the job” with the Bills. He was connected to the team given his history with Buffalo before joining the Giants, but he was hired internally and Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. Daboll ended up joining Robert Saleh’s staff as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator.
Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite image showing Russini with an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans bench wearing a headset. (Image images)
Russini then asked if the officer was a Giants or Jets fan, given the ties to New Jersey. When he responded by saying he was a Vikings fan, Russini apparently showed text messages with O’Connell. The conversation, which included Russini saying that the Vikings quarterback “stinks” and that “KOC is awesome,” ultimately led to the official letting her go with a warning.
“I’m going to give you a break on your cell phone,” the officer was heard saying. “I understand your job requires you to talk on the phone a lot. Just try to wait until you get home, okay?”
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Center Square first reported on Russini’s interaction with the officer.
Pak Gazette Digital has reached out to Russini and the Vikings for comment.
Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons released a statement on the matter.
“On January 19, 2026, at 9:40 a.m., a Ridgewood Police officer conducted a motor vehicle stop on Godwin Avenue involving Ms. Dianna Russini for the use of a hand-held cell phone while driving,” the statement reads. “After following department protocol during the stop and reviewing Ms. Russini’s driving history, the officer exercised professional discretion and issued a verbal warning to Ms. Russini.
Dianna Russini attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California on February 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
“The use of officer discretion to determine whether a warning or citation should be issued is consistent with Ridgewood Police Department policy and long-standing practice. Police officers are encouraged to use their judgment and, when appropriate, provide warnings to motorists as part of the Department’s commitment to fair, impartial, and community-oriented policing.”
Russini resigned from his position at The Athletic amid growing criticism of his relationship with Vrabel after photos of them hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona, went viral. After initially trying to downplay it, saying that “journalists interact with sources outside of stadiums and other venues,” Russini ultimately submitted his resignation.
Following the original photos, others dating back to 2020 showed Vrabel and Russini kissing in a New York City bar. Photographs obtained exclusively by the New York Post They were taken in the early morning of March 11, 2020.
“They were kissing and were on top of each other,” a witness told the outlet. “I had a ring on.”
Dianna Russini appears on the red carpet before the NFL Honors Awards presentation at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 10, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
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While Russini resigned, Vrabel returned to the Patriots after a counseling visit, which fell on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vrabel said he had difficult conversations with his family and also talked to his players about the situation. The Patriots said before the draft that they “fully supported” Vrabel, allowing him to seek the advice he wanted even though there were still four rounds left in the draft.
