Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spoke out in defense of his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, after she shut down part of a recent interview.
Belichick, 73, sat down for an interview with CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” that aired April 27 to speak about his new book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football.” During part of the interview that aired, Belichick was asked how he met his current girlfriend. Hudson was then shown saying, “We’re not talking about this.”
On April 30, Belichick, the current University of North Carolina football coach, released a statement about the interview, stating that he had agreed to do promotional interviews about his book on the terms that questions would solely focus on its contents.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the game against the New Orleans Saints in October 2023. Winslow Townson / Getty Images
“Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview,” Belichick said. “I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book.”
Explaining his girlfriend’s interruption, Belichick said, “After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion. She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track.”
A spokesperson for CBS News said in a statement shared to X April 30 that the organization agreed to a “wide-ranging interview” with Belichick.
“There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed,” the statement read.
Belichick added in his statement that footage from the interview made it appear he and Hudson were “avoiding the question of how we met.” He added that they have been “open” about meeting on a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021.
“The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative — that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation — which is simply not true,” Belichick concluded.
The conversation on “Sunday Morning” covered both Belichick’s career and personal life, including his relationship with Hudson.
Interviewer Tony Dokoupil shared parts of his exchange with Belichick in a video on social media. In the clip, Hudson, whom Dokoupil described in his report as a “constant presence,” appeared to watch the interview from behind a nearby desk.
After the interview aired, Hudson shared to Instagram what appeared to be an email sent on April 10 about media coverage of Belichick’s book. In the caption of the April 29 post, she added, “Full statement to be released later today.”
On Feb. 11, Hudson celebrated the couple’s “meetiversary” in an Instagram post featuring a close-up shot of Belichick’s hand on her waist. The caption suggested the two initially met in 2021.
At the time, she added the hashtags, “#LoveIsNotLogical, #EvenThoughItKindOfIs, #Ironic, #IPhilToPhil.”
