Bill Belichick's publicist texted coach saying CBS interview would be 'without risk': report
Bill Belichick's publicist reportedly "assure[d]" the UNC head coach his interview with CBS would be about his new book.
TMZ Sports reported that David Kass, Simon & Schuster's senior director of publicity, told Belichick the interview would be a "puff piece."
Instead, the interview went off the rails.
Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was present for the interview, and Belichick was asked how they met. Hudson interrupted the CBS interview to shut down that question, and, according to reports, she interrupted several times and even stormed off at one point, delaying the interview by around 30 minutes.
But Kass reportedly wrote to Belichick, "This is a book segment that looks at your life in football and what people can learn from you to achieve success in their own lives."
After Belichick reportedly wanted to turn down the interview, another text Kass wrote reportedly said, "I wouldn't be this insistent if this wasn't so important to book sales and without risk."
Kass is also said to have told Belichick he spoke to a CBS producer "about sticking to the book and shared that if they do, they'll get a great interview, and he was really open, saying he's not interested in going beyond the book."
Belichick released a statement saying he was "surprised" about getting the questions about his relationship and that when Hudson had stepped in, she was doing her job. He also accused CBS of creating a "false narrative" with "selectively edited clips."
"I agreed to speak with 'CBS Sunday Morning' to promote my new book, 'The Art of Winning — Lessons from My Life in Football.' Prior to this 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," he said at the time.
"Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview. I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book."
"After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help focus the discussion. She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track. Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.
"The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents 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."
CBS responded, disagreeing with Belichick's version of events.
"When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview," the company said. "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."
In a request for comment regarding Kass' text messages, CBS sent the same statement. Kass did not immediately respond.
Belichick, 73, and Hudson, 24, have been linked since last year. She has attended several events with him, including February's NFL Honors.
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