Belichick defends girlfriend from 'false narrative'

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick called it a "false narrative" that his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was trying to control an interview with "CBS News Sunday Morning" while discussing his new book.

In a statement released by North Carolina on Wednesday, Belichick said the segment presented "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, who took the North Carolina job in December, appeared on the network over the weekend to promote his book: "The Art of Winning -- Lessons from My Life in Football."

During the interview, CBS' Tony Dokoupil referenced Hudson, 24, before asking Belichick, 73, how they met.

"We're not talking about this," Hudson interjected from the side before Belichick could respond.

Dokoupil then turned to her and said, "No?" She responded, "No."

The awkward exchange drew national headlines. While narrating during the broadcast, Dokoupil called Hudson "a constant presence during our interview."

"I clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would agree to focus solely on the contents of the book," Belichick said in his statement Wednesday. "Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview."

CBS News on Wednesday issued its own statement, denying there were "preconditions or "limitations" to the interview.

"When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview," CBS News said in the statement. "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."

During their discussion, Dokoupil also asked Belichick why he didn't mention former New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft once in the book, including in the acknowledgments. Belichick won six Super Bowls in New England while Kraft owned the team. Dokoupil noted that Kraft had said he "fired" Belichick after the 2023 season; Belichick responded that it was a "mutual decision."

Belichick accused Dokoupil of introducing "unrelated topics" into the conversation. That, according to Belichick, prompted Hudson to speak up.

"I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book," Belichick said in the statement. "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."

Dokoupil asserted during the broadcast that Belichick and Hudson were "not comfortable" commenting on how they met. Belichick said that made it appear as though he and Hudson were avoiding the question.

"We have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021," he said in his statement Wednesday.