Bill Belichick has never been known as a man of many words, but it is what he wasn’t allowed to say in a recent interview that is going viral.
During a sit-down with the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach that aired on CBS Sunday Morning, Tony Dokoupil asked how the 73 year old met his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson. But Hudson, who was seated off camera, wasn’t having it. Her interjection of “we’re not talking about this” made the final interview, and the awkward moment was apparently not the only time she inserted herself into the conversation.
On Monday’s show, Megyn was joined by Emily Jashinsky, host of Undercurrents on UnHerd, and Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon, to discuss the bizarre interview and the questions it is raising.
The Interruption
What was probably supposed to be a friendly and straightforward interview with the newly minted University of North Carolina football coach about his new book, The Art of Winning, turned into a strange, headline-making affair after Hudson’s behavior became the story.
Belichick and the former cheerleader have been quite public with their relationship, appearing on red carpets together and posting pictures on social media. He also refers to Hudson as his “creative muse” in the forthcoming book, which led Dokoupil to note the notoriously gruff coach seems to be a new man.
When asked how he deals with the attention on his personal life, Belichick, who appeared disheveled (even by his standards) in a ratty sweatshirt, brushed it off. “I’ve never been too worried about what everybody else thinks,” he said. “I just try to do what I feel like is what’s best for me and what’s right.”
Dokoupil then asked Belichick how the couple met, which is when Hudson stepped in. “We’re not talking about this,” she interrupted from off camera. “No,” Dokoupil replied as he looked over at Hudson. “No,” she responded.
In a voiceover, the interviewer said the pair weren’t comfortable talking about their origin story. He also noted that “Jordon was a constant presence during our interview.”
To that point, Pro Football Talk reported the tense moment made the final cut because it was one of many. “While we don’t know the total number of interruptions, it’s our understanding that CBS decided to include that one specific instance because it wasn’t a one-time thing,” PFT noted.
The Social Dilemma
The pair’s sudden desire for privacy is noteworthy considering the fact that Hudson has openly shared their history. In February, she posted on Instagram that they met on February 11, 2021, calling it their “meetiversary” and showing off a book Belichick inscribed for her. TMZ has reported the duo met while seated next to each other on a 2021 flight from Boston to Florida.
What’s more? Hudson is not shy about posting pictures with her beau. Her social media feeds are papered with pictures of her and Belichick, some of which have them frolicking on the beach and demonstrating yoga poses (below).
Dokoupil asked the septuagenarian about the photos – which also appeared on his own Instagram feed until recently – and he seemed unaware of the content. “Yeah, so I’m on some of those social media platforms, but I honestly don’t follow,” he said after some confusion.
Jill Biden Vibes
While Megyn acknowledged that sports isn’t her usual beat, she said the interview is too viral to ignore. In her view, Hudson’s presence called to mind the dynamic of another couple in the public eye. “It is starting to look much more like a Jill Biden situation,” she noted. “She is like Dr. Jill on the sidelines calling all the shots and trying to decide what he can answer and what he can’t in this interview.”
CBS Sunday Morning is not some hard-hitting news program, but Megyn believes the beleaguered network was right to include the exchange. “She was trying to dominate behind the scenes, and [CBS] felt it was okay to include one of her interruptions just… to be transparent that they had this monster on screen left who was completely trying to control them,” she explained. “It was to the point where they didn’t feel like it would have journalistic integrity if they didn’t show at least some of it.”
Johnson wasn’t sure what Hudson’s intentions were, but she said there is no denying she only made the situation worse. “She presumably was trying to steer him away from saying something that would have become the whole story,” she noted. “But if she thought she was making it better, this thing became the whole story of how weird this was.”
And in the process, it is breeding speculation where there previously wasn’t any. “The defensiveness about [how they met] is what makes me want to know more,” Megyn said. “I couldn’t really give two flying figs how they met until I saw she doesn’t want to tell me, notwithstanding the fact that she posted it. And now, actually, I’m interested. You’ve got me now, and it’s not just me.”
Ultimately, Jashinsky said that in the robust canon of uncomfortable Bill Belichick interviews, this one is a standout. “He has never been very media savvy… He is really smart, but he is really weird,” she concluded. “He has always been a little strange, but this is on another level of bizarre, even for Bill Belichick, and that is a high bar.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Jashinsky and Johnson by tuning in to episode 1,059 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.