Bill Belichick's girlfriend Jordon Hudson draws Taylor Swift publicist comparison after taking heat for relationship with UNC HC

Bill Belichick’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, has been compared to popular PR executive and Taylor Swift publicist Tree Paine. The 24-year-old, who faced criticism for her relationship with the UNC head coach, appeared on the podcast “The Sports Gossip Show.”

The show, sponsored by The Athletic, is hosted by Madeline Hill and Charlotte Wilder. In its Thursday episode, the hosts reported they had a call with Hudson, during which she relished the comparison she made with Paine. She reportedly said:

“I love that you said that I’m like Bill’s Tree Paine because I am.”

The comparison apparently relates to her role as Belichick’s personal media handler, a position that has sparked significant controversy. According to the hosts, she also said:

“Everybody loved Bill’s media presence before they found out that I was behind it.”

Bill Belichick's interrupted interview and subsequent clarifications

Perhaps the most controversial Belichick-Hudson moment came during his book promotion interview with CBS earlier in the summer. Hudson had shut down a question from the reporter about how she and the former New England Patriots coach met before storming out of the interview.

The interview was then halted for about 30 minutes. Bill Belichick later explained the former cheerleader’s role in the interview and her contribution to the book. This was revealed in emails obtained by a local North Carolina media outlet, WRAL News. Belichick wrote:

“Jordon was present at the CBS interview because David Kass, the Simon & Schuster publicist, was not there. I included Jordon in the book acknowledgments because she was a creative contributor to the book, including having the idea for formatting the 4 special pages in the book.”

On Hudson’s role as his personal media handler, Bill Belichick wrote:

“Jordon and I have both a personal & professional relationship. This is not a secret. Jordon assists me with my personal media, which is why I asked UNC to forward media requests (e.g., CBS 60 Minutes) to her. Jordan has zero involvement in the UNC football program, beyond the degree that my personal media intersects with it.”

While many outside the UNC football team are worried that Bill Belichick’s relationship might affect the team, his players don’t appear distracted. Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp told ESPN:

“Social media can promote some narrative, but that was not a distraction to us at all. There was never a problem, like people saying she was running practice. We’d never really see her in the building. That was never a problem.”

The Tar Heels start their season on Aug. 31 with a game against the TCU Horned Frogs.