Latest news with #CBSInterview
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
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. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Broken promise that left Bill Belichick 'furious' after disastrous CBS interview
Bill Belichick was reportedly promised by his publisher that the now-infamous April interview with CBS would only be about his book and not veer into outside topics. Belichick was asked questions not directly about the novel, most notably about 49-years-younger girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who was on set, seated off camera. The questions to Belichick about Hudson sparked the 24-year-old to interrupt and prompt weeks of questions as to her influence on the North Carolina head football coach. More than a dozen days before the interview aired on April 27, Belichick was reportedly written by Simon & Schuster's senior director of publicity, David Kass, stating 'I can assure you that the conversation [will be] about the book' and was 'furious' at what occurred, per TMZ. '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,' Kass added. Kass has not immediately replied to request for comment. However, A CBS News spokesperson did give a statement, not changing their stance about the interview. 'When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview. 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,' the CBS News spokesperson told Kass was reportedly insistent on Belichick doing the interview, even flying to Chapel Hill in March to make sure the Tar Heels leader and he were on the same page about doing press for his book. It was Kass not attending the interview's taping, which was filmed in Annapolis, Maryland, that led Hudson to feel empowered to direct what Tony Dokoupil was asking. Belichick and Hudson have stayed firm that CBS did not honor their part of the deal for the interview in direct contradiction with the network's message. 'I agreed to speak with CBS Sunday Morning to promote my new book,' Belichick said. '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. 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 refocus 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.' In what appears to be a show of support from UNC to Belichick's tenure, his statement was released by the school in order to try and calm the outpouring of shock at Sunday's scenes. Daily Mail exclusively reported last month that Belichick and Hudson are unfazed, overall, by the response to the interview. Belichick thinks some of the critics from his all-conquering run as Patriots coach now want to see him fail in Chapel Hill. After the interview aired, Pro Football Talk claimed that Hudson interrupted proceedings on so many occasions, CBS decided to include one moment to reflect her overriding influence. TMZ then claimed that Hudson stormed out of the interview for 30 minutes at one stage as she was so unhappy with the direction it was going. Belichick's statement doesn't address those allegations but it is perhaps notable that he described the overall discussion as a 'productive 35-minute conversation'. The New York Times reported that Hudson's presence was 'instrumental' in a deal breaking down
New York Post
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jordon Hudson banned from UNC practices with Bill Belichick's family deeply worried: Ex-ESPNer
The drama surrounding Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is getting worse 'and weirder' amid the fallout from his disastrous CBS Interview last month. During Friday's installment of 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' Torre revealed an investigation into the matter and alleged a deep concern by Belichick's family that Hudson is ruining the UNC football coach's legacy, not to mention his reputation as one of the greatest coaches of all time. 'There is deep worry for how detrimental Jordon can be for not just North Carolina but Bill's legacy, reputation — everything he has built and worked for over decades,' one family source told Torre, who previously broke the news that Hudson used her power to force her way into Belichick's Super Bowl commercial with Dunkin' Donuts in February. Advertisement 3 Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson during the holidays in 2025. Instagram/Jordon Hudson Torre said he spoke to 11 sources who've dealt directly with Hudson, a former cheerleader at Bridgewater State University. Katie Nolan and Michael Cruz Kayne also appeared in the episode to reveal the investigation's findings. Advertisement 'It's a timeline of exclusive information… I've been sitting on it for a long time,' Torre said. Torre's investigation shed light on Hudson's reputation at UNC ever since Belichick, 73, brought her into the fold after signing a five-year, $50 million deal to be the school's next head football coach last December. Two UNC sources said higher-ups inside the athletic department came to a decision last week that Hudson is no longer allowed on the UNC football field or inside its football facility. Advertisement 'Don't think you'll be hearing much from Jordon moving forward,' one source said. 3 Bill Belichick with Jordon Hudson at UNC in March 2025. Getty Images Last month, a viral video showed Hudson on the field with Belichick at a UNC practice. The whole situation has been a PR nightmare for UNC and Belichick, who has remained silent since releasing a statement defending Hudson for her viral interruption during his 'CBS Sunday Morning' interview on April 27, saying she was 'doing her job.' Advertisement Belichick also said in the statement that he and Hudson are in a personal and professional relationship. 3 Jordon Hudson came under fire during boyfriend Bill Belichick's CBS interview in April 2025. CBS The network's final edit of the interview included Hudson interrupting CBS' Tony Dokoupil's question about how the couple met. Belichick and Hudson, who said they met on a flight to Palm Beach in February 2021, went public with their relationship last June.
Fox News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fair Election Fund urges FCC to hold CBS accountable for 'unlawful conduct' related to '60 Minutes' interview
FIRST ON FOX -- The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group, urged the Federal Communications Commission to "hold CBS accountable for its unlawful conduct" related to the infamous "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump has alleged election interference over CBS' handling of a "60 Minutes" interview, and feels the network aided his Democratic rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, through deceptive editing one month before they faced off in the presidential election. The October 2024 sit-down with Harris has been at the center of controversy for months, with Trump taking legal action and FCC chairman Brendan Carr forcing CBS to release an unedited transcript and raw footage. CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, insist the network did nothing wrong, but the Fair Election Fund believes the editing job constituted "an improper contribution" to the Harris campaign. "Upon review of the video and transcript referenced in the Public Notice, we find it prudent to inform the Commission that CBS has not only engaged in improper news distortion, but has also exploited the 'media exemption' under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974, as amended (FECA)," James Tyrell, counsel to the Fair Election Fund, wrote in the letter to the FCC that has been obtained by Fox News Digital. "We respectfully request that the Commission hold CBS accountable for its unlawful conduct," Tyrell continued. "By substantively editing Ms. Harris' answers to questions in the CBS Interview, CBS has engaged in activities that exceed the scope of the 'legitimate press function' and, therefore, constitute an improper contribution to Ms. Harris' campaign." Tyrell wrote that "the heavily edited CBS Interview went well beyond CBS' legitimate press function" and urged the FCC to act. "The results of the 2024 Presidential Election clearly demonstrate that the American public has lost confidence in the media, and, no matter what this Commission decides with respect to this matter, that lost confidence will not immediately be restored. The question is whether this Commission will further undermine the American public's confidence in the U.S. government by giving a biased media company a 'free pass," Tyrell wrote. Tyrell also believes that "news distortion" is not an isolated incident. "For example, journalists and the media were publicly criticized by Americans for 'covering up' former President Joe Biden's mental decline and for failing to even conduct any sort of questioning of the White House regarding the same," Tyrell wrote. "This repeated pattern 33 of behavior is precisely why the American public no longer trusts the media," Tyrell added. "It is unfortunate that media personnel continue to push their own political agendas at the expense of providing the American public with complete information and exploit FCC and Federal Election Commission rules and regulations for their own benefit. Such manipulative behavior should not be countenanced by this Commission." Carr, who was appointed by Trump and has called CBS' conduct "hard to explain," previously asked for the public's feedback as it conducts a review of the "60 Minutes" saga. Last month, Carr ordered CBS News to hand over the unedited transcript as part of its investigation into whether the network violated the FCC's "news distortion" policy after a complaint was filed. CBS had refused to release a transcript until Carr got involved. "Every data point you look at shows that the American people have lost trust in the legacy national news media. They feel like those outlets are just trying to sheepdog people towards preferred political narratives, rather than playing it straight. With respect to CBS, the FCC is running a transparent process that lets every American participant. I would welcome the Federal Election Commission's views on the FEC issues raised here," Carr told Fox News Digital. The raw transcript showed CBS News had aired only the first half of Harris' response to "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker's question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not "listening" to the Biden administration in a preview clip that aired on "Face the Nation," but aired only the second half of her response during the primetime special. "But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening," Whitaker said in the exchange. "The Wall Street Journal said that he -- that your administration has repeatedly been blindsided by Netanyahu, and in fact, he has rebuffed just about all of your administration's entreaties." "Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region. And we're not going to stop doing that. We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end," Harris responded. In the preview clip that aired on "Face the Nation," Whitaker asked his Netanyahu question to Harris about him not "listening" to the U.S. "Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region," Harris responded in the "Face the Nation" clip. Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy "word salad" to Whitaker. But when that same question aired the following night in the primetime election special, a shorter, more focused answer from the vice president followed. "We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end," Harris said. Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the vice president from further backlash. CBS parent company Paramount Global on Friday responded to the news distortion complaint that is on file with the FCC. "The Complaint filed against CBS for 'news distortion' envisions a less free world in which the federal government becomes a roving censor—one that second guesses and even punishes specific editorial decisions that are an essential part of producing news programming," Paramount Global executives wrote. "The protections of the First Amendment apply to all Americans, including broadcasters like CBS and its stations. A broadcaster engages in protected speech activity whenever it 'exercises editorial discretion in the selection and presentation of its programming,'" they continued. "Indeed, the mere investigation of allegations premised on disputes over editorial judgments constitutes 'a venture into a quagmire inappropriate for' a government agency like the Commission—though it is not too late for the Commission to turn back by promptly closing this proceeding." Paramount Global feels the First Amendment would not permit the government to substitute its judgment for that of a broadcaster as to the specific footage from an interview to be aired. "None of the Supreme Court's First Amendment jurisprudence around broadcasting has ever recognized a sweeping right by the government to second guess editorial decision-making," Paramount Global wrote. The FCC has not yet formally responded to Paramount Global. Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS alleging election interference over its handling of the interview, accusing the network of aiding his Democratic rival through deceptive editing just days before the election. According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Paramount argued last week that the lawsuit was wrongly filed by Trump's legal team in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas, despite the fact that neither Paramount nor CBS News are located in the Lone Star State, nor did any production of the "60 Minutes" interview at the center of the lawsuit have any affiliation with the state. In a separate filing, Paramount argued Trump's lawsuit is "an affront to the First Amendment and is without basis in law or fact," seeking to "punish a news organization for constitutionally protected editorial judgments they do not like." Trump's legal team remains confident. "President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, hoaxes, and lies to account," Trump attorney Ed Paltzik told Fox News Digital in a statement. "CBS and Paramount committed the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history," Paltzik added. "President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion."
