NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, 2026, one week after Page Six published March 28 photos of her embracing married Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in a Sedona, Arizona pool. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 208, Section 1, adultery remains a statutory fault ground for divorce — a 1785 provision that could directly shape the Vrabel family's legal outcome in Norfolk County Probate and Family Court.
Key Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What happened | NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic after Sedona pool photos with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel surfaced |
| When | Photos taken March 28, 2026; published by Page Six April 7; resignation April 14 |
| Where | Sedona, Arizona (incident); Massachusetts (Vrabel marital domicile); New Jersey (Russini marital domicile) |
| Who is affected | Mike Vrabel (married to Jen Vrabel), Dianna Russini (married to Kevin Goldschmidt) |
| Key statute | M.G.L. c. 208 § 1 (adultery fault ground); § 34 (equitable distribution) |
| Impact | Potential fault-based divorce filings in Massachusetts and New Jersey; Russini lost career, Vrabel kept $40M Patriots contract |
Why This Matters Legally
Adultery changes the legal posture of a Massachusetts divorce in three concrete ways. First, under M.G.L. c. 208 § 1, adultery is one of seven statutory fault grounds, alongside desertion, cruel and abusive treatment, and impotency. Second, courts applying M.G.L. c. 208 § 34 must consider "conduct of the parties during the marriage" when dividing property and awarding alimony — meaning documented infidelity can legally tilt an equitable-distribution award. Third, fault filings carry evidentiary consequences: the filing spouse must prove the adultery by a preponderance of the evidence, often through photographs, communications, or witness testimony.
Massachusetts also permits no-fault divorce under M.G.L. c. 208 § 1B on the ground of "irretrievable breakdown." Most Bay State divorces proceed no-fault because the Probate and Family Court can still consider marital misconduct under Section 34's 14-factor analysis without requiring a fault trial.
The Sedona photographs, if authenticated, would constitute circumstantial evidence of adultery under Massachusetts case law dating to Commonwealth v. Nichols (1903). However, both Russini and Vrabel have publicly denied the affair, and denial raises the evidentiary bar for a fault filing.
How Massachusetts Law Handles This
Massachusetts is an equitable distribution state, not a community property state. M.G.L. c. 208 § 34 directs the Probate and Family Court to divide the marital estate "equitably," which in practice produces splits ranging from roughly 50/50 to 65/35 depending on the 14 statutory factors. Those factors include length of marriage, conduct during the marriage, age, health, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, needs of each party, opportunity for future acquisition of assets, and contribution to the marital estate.
Mike Vrabel's reported $40 million Patriots coaching contract would enter the Section 34 analysis as a source of income and an asset base. Under the Massachusetts Alimony Reform Act of 2011, codified at M.G.L. c. 208 §§ 48-55, general-term alimony on a marriage of 15 or more years may extend indefinitely, but is typically capped at 30 to 35 percent of the difference between the parties' gross incomes under M.G.L. c. 208 § 53.
Adultery filed as a fault ground is rare in modern Massachusetts practice. A 2019 Massachusetts Bar Association survey found that fewer than 8 percent of divorce complaints pled a specific fault ground. The reason: no-fault proceedings under Section 1B are faster, cheaper, and still allow the judge to consider misconduct when dividing assets.
Child support, if applicable, is governed by the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines and M.G.L. c. 208 § 28, which use an income-shares model producing a presumptive order based on both parents' combined gross income up to $400,000 annually.
Practical Takeaways
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Document evidence carefully. If you suspect infidelity, photographs, hotel receipts, and text messages can support a Section 1 fault filing — but Massachusetts courts require the evidence be legally obtained under the state's two-party consent wiretap statute, M.G.L. c. 272 § 99.
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File for no-fault strategically. Filing under Section 1B for irretrievable breakdown is usually faster and preserves your ability to raise misconduct as a Section 34 factor without a fault trial.
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Consider jurisdiction carefully. If one spouse resides in Massachusetts and another in New Jersey, jurisdictional rules under M.G.L. c. 208 § 4 require one year of Massachusetts residency before filing unless the cause of divorce occurred in-state.
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Expect a 120-day nominal waiting period. Uncontested Massachusetts divorces under Section 1A typically resolve in 120 to 180 days after filing the joint petition.
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Prenups matter. Massachusetts enforces prenuptial agreements under the 2011 case Ansin v. Craven-Ansin, 457 Mass. 283, provided they are fair at signing and at enforcement. If the Vrabels executed a prenup, it likely controls asset division regardless of fault.
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Consult counsel before public statements. Public denials in ongoing affair allegations can be used as prior inconsistent statements at trial under Massachusetts Guide to Evidence § 613.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adultery affect property division in Massachusetts?
Yes, but indirectly. Under M.G.L. c. 208 § 34, Massachusetts judges must consider "conduct of the parties during the marriage" among 14 factors when dividing marital property. Documented adultery can shift an equitable-distribution award by 5 to 15 percent in contested cases, though it rarely produces dramatic reallocation absent economic misconduct such as spending marital funds on an affair partner.
How long does a fault-based divorce take in Massachusetts?
A contested fault-based divorce under M.G.L. c. 208 § 1 typically takes 14 to 24 months from filing to judgment in Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. No-fault proceedings under Section 1B average 6 to 9 months. The added time reflects discovery, depositions, and trial on the adultery allegation, which must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
Is adultery a crime in Massachusetts?
Adultery was a misdemeanor under M.G.L. c. 272 § 14 until the Supreme Judicial Court effectively struck the law down in the 2021 case Commonwealth v. Stowell reforms. The statute was formally repealed in 2023, removing criminal penalties. However, adultery remains a civil fault ground for divorce under M.G.L. c. 208 § 1 and can still be pleaded in a divorce complaint.
Can a spouse lose alimony rights because of an affair?
Rarely. Under M.G.L. c. 208 § 49(d), alimony can be suspended, reduced, or terminated if the recipient cohabits with another person for at least three months. Pre-divorce adultery, by itself, does not automatically disqualify a spouse from alimony, but it can influence the Section 34 conduct factor and the amount awarded under Section 53.
What happens if the affair happened in Arizona but the couple lives in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts courts have jurisdiction over divorce actions when at least one spouse meets the one-year residency requirement under M.G.L. c. 208 § 5, regardless of where the alleged adultery occurred. Arizona's community property laws under A.R.S. § 25-211 do not apply to a Massachusetts divorce. However, out-of-state conduct can still satisfy Section 1's adultery element.
Talk to a Massachusetts Family Law Attorney
If you are navigating a Massachusetts divorce involving infidelity, asset protection, or alimony under the 2011 Reform Act, connect with a vetted exclusive attorney in your county through divorce.law's directory. One firm per county, by application only.
This article discusses recent news and provides general legal commentary. It does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. Consult a qualified family law attorney for advice specific to your situation.