The sidelines of a University of North Carolina football game became the latest stage for a simmering family dynamic, as Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick's daughter-in-law, Jennifer Schmitt, appeared to deliberately avoid one another this past Saturday.
A Sideline Separation
Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of 73-year-old coaching legend Bill Belichick, was first seen on the sideline before the crucial match against Stanford. However, when the game itself began, she watched from a separate suite, away from Schmitt. This spatial divide followed a very public critique from Schmitt earlier in the year.
The tension traces back to an excruciating CBS interview in April, where Hudson intervened off-camera to stop a visibly uncomfortable Belichick from answering a question about how they met. The move sparked intense public backlash and led to questions from Belichick's former New England Patriots players, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, about whether Hudson was acting as his de-facto publicist.
The Source of the Strain
Amid the fallout, Jennifer Schmitt, who is married to Belichick's son Stephen, broke rank. Spotting a clip and comment from comedian Nikki Glaser defending Hudson on Instagram, Schmitt fired back, writing: 'Publicists act in a professional manner and don’t ‘storm’ off set delaying an interview.'
This was one of many critical reactions. Former Patriot Ted Johnson even questioned if his old coach was 'of sound mind' to let Hudson have such influence. Belichick, however, defended Hudson, insisting she was only doing what she was supposed to and that the interview was solely to promote his book, not discuss his personal life.
Messages and Improvements
While Schmitt was pictured having a great time cheering UNC to their 20-15 victory, Hudson seemed to send a message of her own. She wore a necklace that read 'Banned', interpreted as hitting back at reports, denied by the college, that UNC had banned her from their facilities earlier this year.
For Bill Belichick, the night was a professional success. His team, after a disastrous start to the season, is showing slow and steady signs of improvement with the vital win. The family dynamics, however, remain a subject of public fascination as the two women continue to keep their distance nearly seven months after the incendiary interview.
