Hard knock, indeed.
Bill Belichick was slated to star in an episode of the HBO docuseries “Hard Knocks” — but his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, reportedly played an “instrumental role” in the deal getting scrapped.
New York Times’ The Athletic reported Wednesday that production was halted in March, partially due to the 24-year-old’s alleged “request to be heavily involved in the project.”
News broke in late February that the 73-year-old’s time coaching the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s football team would be featured on the show, with a two-month production slated to begin March 1.
However, the project was axed within two days. On March 3, the NFL’s vice president for commercial operations and business affairs, Jessica Boddy, allegedly confirmed via email that they would “not proceed with the production of the Belichick project.”
She noted, “The conversation took a turn we were not comfortable with.”
The outlet noted that the episode, a “behind-the-scenes audiovisual project about Bill Belichick’s transition from the National Football League to Division I college football and the process of building a team,” was “at the request of” the coach himself.
In a drafted press release, he wrote, “I’ve been waiting for the right time to partner with the ‘Hard Knocks’ filmmaking team and that time has arrived.
“I’m excited to show off UNC’s tremendous leadership, passionate coaching staff, and roster full of young players, who I hope to teach how to be ‘pros’ on and off the field,” Belichick continued.
When it was time to go public with the news, however, executive producer Ken Rodgers wrote that Belichick had “not given approval.”
The deal was dead in the water 48 hours later, with Boddy writing, “We should proceed with wrapping this up.”
She offered to have NFL Films reimburse UNC’s expenses.
The institution, notably, would have received $200,000 in fees for using their facilities if the deal went through.
Reps for Belichick, HBO and NFL Films have yet to respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Hudson, notably, identifies herself in correspondence as the chief operating officer of Belichick Productions, a company The Athletic was unable to find evidence of.
She and Belichick went public with their romance in 2024, three years after they met during a flight.
When Belichick was asked about this airplane meet-cute during his “CBS Sunday Morning” interview over the weekend, Hudson interrupted to shut down the question in a viral moment.
“We’re not talking about that,” she declared.
She subtly defended herself from A-listers calling the exchange “excruciating” and an example of “elder abuse” by retweeting pointed statements via X.
One read, “Bill looks like he wants to reach across and strangle the journalist. I kind of wish he did.”
She also leaked a lengthy email from her partner via Instagram regarding his book promotion’s focusing on his “50 years in and around the NFL.”
The cheerleader, who has since appeared unbothered on multiple NYC dates while rocking a ring on that finger, has yet to comment on the debacle despite promising a “full statement” Tuesday.
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