The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is denying a report that Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of the university’s head football coach, Bill Belichick, 73, has been banned from the school’s football facility.
“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities,” Carolina Athletics told NBC News in a statement.
“Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University,” the department added.
Chatter about a ban against Hudson began circulating on May 9 after sportswriter Pablo Torre reported on his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast that multiple “sources” informed him that Hudson was forbidden from visiting locations where the North Carolina Tar Heels football team and its coaches congregate.
“That decision was that Jordon Hudson is no longer allowed in the football building. She is not allowed on the football field,” said Torre.
The rumor about a ban at UNC-Chapel Hill is just the latest controversy to hit Belichick, an NFL coaching legend who led the New England Patriots to winning six Super Bowls, and his girlfriend.
The May-December couple reportedly met on a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021. They went public with their romance when they attended a gala at the Museum of Natural History on Dec. 5, 2024.
Last month, the pair made headlines after Hudson interrupted an interview Belichick gave to “CBS Sunday Morning” that aired April 27.
Belichick sat for to the interview to discuss his new book, “The Art of Winning,” but when “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil asked Belichick how he met Hudson, the former Bridgewater State University cheerleader, who was sitting nearby, interrupted.
“We’re not talking about this,” Hudson told both men.
In a clip of the interview “CBS Sunday Morning” shared on social media, Dokoupil revealed in a voiceover that Hudson, who competes this month in the Miss Maine USA pageant, was a “constant presence” during his conversation with Belichick.
Belichick responded to online criticism about Hudson’s role in the interview in a statement. The famed coach explained that he agreed to do promotional interviews about his book only if questions focused solely on the book itself.
“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.”
As for Hudson’s interruption, the famed coach 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.”
On April 30, a spokesperson for CBS News said in a statement shared to X that Belichick agreed to a “wide-ranging interview” without stipulations.
“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.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
