CNN
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During the “Chapelville” era, the famous Super Bowl-winning head coach has already made an interesting route in North Carolina, despite not yet leading the tar heels in the game.
Bill Belichick defended his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, after an interview aired last weekend on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
The interview featured the moment of the current visit, when the 73-year-old was asked by reporter Tony Docpile how Belichick and Hudson first met.
Belichick, who was hired as North Carolina’s new head football coach in December, said CBS did not respect the interview expectations.
“When an unrelated topic was introduced, I was surprised, and I have repeatedly expressed it to reporter Tony Docpal and the producers who I wanted to focus the conversation on the book,” Belichick said in a statement through the university on Wednesday. “After this happened several times, Jordon, who shares both personal and professional relationships, repeated that point to help me focus on the discussion.”
Belichick, the second-highest winning head coach in NFL history, supported Hudson, adding that he “works to make sure the interviews are on track rather than diverting specific questions or topics.”
In a statement, the coach questioned how the interviews were edited to make it seem like they were avoiding how they met.
Belichick said Wednesday that the couple met on a 2021 flight to Palm Beach, Florida. The admission coincided with an Instagram post from Hudson earlier this year, and she said she met in February 2021.
An eight-minute CBS interview with Belichick is scheduled to be published by Simon & Schuster in early May, ahead of the release of his new book, The Art of Winning.
Dokoupil asked Belichick how he handled the public’s “investment” interest in his relationship with his girlfriend.
“I’ve never been too worried about what everyone else would think,” Belichick said. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for me, what’s right?”
Belichick is then asked how the pair met. Hudson jumped out from off-camera and said, “We’re not talking about this.”
Dokoupil later called 24-year-old Hudson “a constant presence” during the taping of the interview.
“The final eight-minute segment doesn’t reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had.
“Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from a few minutes of the interview, suggesting the false narrative that Jordon was trying to control the conversation. This is simply not true.”
CBS responded to Belichick’s statement later on Wednesday, saying it had been agreed to be a “broad” interview.
“There were no prerequisites or restrictions on this conversation,” a CBS spokesperson said in a statement. “This was confirmed repeatedly in his publisher after the interview was conducted and after it was completed.”
Tar Heels’ job was Belichick’s first college coaching job, winning eight Super Bowls as an NFL coach (6 as head coaches for the New England Patriots, and two as defensive coordinators). (New York Giants): He and the Patriot broke up in January 2024.
In addition to 24 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1995.
CNN’s Jil Martin contributed to this report.
