A recent CBS interview with Bill Belichick was “selectively edited” to suggest a “false narrative,” North Carolina’s coach said in a statement released Wednesday.
CBS’ “Sunday Morning” recently aired a segment delving into Belichick and his new book that veered into his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson. Belichick, 73, said he “clearly communicated” with his publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews he did for the book would focus only on the book’s contents.
“Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview,” Belichick said in the statement.
Hudson is not referenced in the book’s opening acknowledgments, which are limited to Belichick’s family and godfather. However, Belichick does thank Hudson in the closing acknowledgments, referencing her as his “idea mill” and “creative muse” on page 285 of a copy acquired by The Athletic.
The book is set for release on May 6.
The CBS segment, which aired Sunday, shows Hudson interjecting after interviewer Tony Dokoupil asked how the two met.
“We’re not talking about this,” Hudson said.
The moment was reportedly one of several interjections from Hudson and redirections from Belichick after being asked about the relationship. Belichick acknowledged in the statement that there were several mentions of the relationship in the 35-minute interview and that 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,” Belichick said. “Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.”
Monday, Hudson posted a video on social media of the book she was reading on the flight and the note Belichick wrote in it after they met. Hudson also posted a photo of an April 10 email written by Belichick referencing an unknown interview where the focus was Belichick admitting he “f—– up” and that future interviews will likely focus on similar samples or “click bait,” Belichick wrote.
Belichick’s publisher, Inkwell Management, said in a statement that the CBS segment resulted in “a raft of hostile social media posts about his personal life.”
“Getting clicks is easier than getting wins,” the statement said. “Bill has written an authoritative and entertaining book about success that should be judged by its contents, not by the clicks generated by the segment.”
Hudson has been a constant presence since Belichick arrived at North Carolina. In December, Belichick asked a UNC official to copy Hudson on some emails. That same month, Hudson identified herself as the chief operating officer of Belichick Productions.
Hudson played an instrumental role in NFL Films’ decision to pull out of an agreement to produce “Hard Knocks,” a show centered on Belichick’s transition into college football at North Carolina, The Athletic reported Wednesday. The decision was related to her request to be heavily involved in the project.
(Photo of Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
