Bodycam Footage Contradicts Dianna Russini's Account of Traffic Stop Name-Drop

Police bodycam footage from a January 19, 2026 traffic stop in Ridgewood, New Jersey contradicts a public account given by former NFL reporter Dianna Russini about how she avoided a citation, showing she displayed text messages with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell rather than placing a FaceTime call, as she had described on air. The footage, which runs just over seven minutes, was first reported by The Center Square.

What Russini Said vs. What the Footage Shows

Russini told listeners of the "Stugotz and Company" podcast in February that, after being pulled over for using her phone, she FaceTimed an NFL coach of the officer's favorite team — without naming either person. The New York Times later revisited the account as part of a broader story on Russini's relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

The bodycam recording shows no FaceTime and no phone call took place during the stop. What did occur was Russini showing the officer her phone screen displaying text exchanges with O'Connell, after the officer said he was a Vikings fan.

The Stop on Godwin Avenue

Russini was stopped on Godwin Avenue at 9:40 a.m. on January 19, 2026 — the morning Sean McDermott was fired as Buffalo Bills head coach following the team's AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos. She told the officer within the first moments of the stop that she was an NFL reporter who had just broken the McDermott news, offering that as her reason for being on her phone.

She also told the officer that former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll wanted the Bills job. Daboll did not get it; the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady in-house. Daboll later joined Robert Saleh's staff in Tennessee as offensive coordinator.

When the officer identified himself as a Vikings fan, Russini showed him the texts with O'Connell. She told the officer the Vikings' quarterback "sucks" and called O'Connell "awesome." The officer issued a verbal warning rather than a citation.

Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons confirmed the stop in a statement, noting the officer "exercised his professional discretion" after reviewing Russini's driving history, consistent with department policy.

Context: Russini's Departure From The Athletic

The traffic stop disclosure surfaces as Russini remains a subject of scrutiny following her April resignation from The Athletic. Photographs of her with Vrabel at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona went viral, and additional images obtained by the New York Post — taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020 — showed the two at a New York City bar. An eyewitness told the Post the two were kissing and that Vrabel had a ring on.

Vrabel returned to the Patriots after a counseling visit that fell on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Patriots said before the draft they "fully support" Vrabel. Fox News Digital said it reached out to Russini and the Vikings for comment; neither had responded as of publication.