After conquering the NFL, winning six Super Bowl titles, and claiming Croatian citizenship, Croatian-American NFL legend Bill Belichick is making headlines for a surprising new chapter – this time, in his personal life.
Belichick 73, has recently drawn significant media attention to himself following the public launch of his relationship with 24 year old former cheerleader and current pageant contender, Jordan Hudson.
Belichick is currently the head football coach at the University of North Carolina, and was formerly the general manager of the New England Patriots.
In the short time that they have been together, Belichick has already purchased $12.4m (USD $8m) worth of property in Hudson’s name.
The unexpected pairing with an age gap of nearly five decades has sparked curiosity, criticism, and conversation across both sports circles and celebrity gossip columns, signalling that Belichick’s newest play might be his boldest yet.
TMZ reports that the unlikely couple first crossed paths on a flight four years ago and stayed in touch as friends until Belichick ended his long term relationship of 16 years with ex-partner and current television correspondent, Linda Holliday in 2022.
The 48 year age difference between the two has caused substantial backlash within the media, from celebrity gossip outlets like TMZ, but also from sports news pages after a video emerged of Hudson ‘constantly interrupting’ Belichick in his live interview with CBS.
The backlash surrounding the couple has not been limited to media coverage, it has also come from individuals who know Bill personally, with some expressing concern over the relationship’s dynamics.
Rob Gronkowski, who previously played for Belichick with the New England Patriots, commented on the controversy surrounding the new couple. Gronkowski publicly stated that he believes Hudson could become a ‘distraction’ for the UNC football program.
Following this interview, sources speculated that Hudson was temporarily banned from UNC’s football facility.
A source from Belichick’s family stated that there was concern for the potential detrimental impact of this relationship on not only Belichick’s reputation, but his legacy.
The attention that the couple was getting was magnified following an interview that they did with CBS, where the interviewer asked Belichick where the couple had met, and Hudson abruptly interrupted – sparking controversy.
This caused the interview to go viral given the suspicion that it raised following the interruption. In recent weeks, Belichick attended the Miss Maine USA pageant in support of Hudson as she finished third overall.
The Croatian-American NFL legends attendance at the pageant came one day after UNC issued a statement confirming that Hudson was still welcome at their facilities, following a podcast report speculating that she had been banned.
Increased controversy and backlash arose after Belichick and Hudson’s latest real estate investments were publicised.
According to Charlie Lankston at Realtor.com, Hudson purchased three multi-family homes within the Boston Metropolitan area in December 2023, totalling $12.4m.
These purchases were made 18 months after the ex-cheerleader began her relationship with the six-time Super Bowl winning coach, hence the public speculation.
This has fuelled even more speculation, with critics questioning the timing and motivations behind such significant investments so early in their relationship.