“She is welcome”: UNC denies banning Jordon Hudson, contradicts viral report

The University of North Carolina has officially denied that Jordon Hudson, girlfriend of Tar Heels football coach Bill Belichick, was ever banned from its football facilities, pushing back against a widely circulated report by journalist Pablo Torre.The controversy began on Friday when Torre, citing two UNC sources on his show Pablo Torre Finds Out, reported that Hudson had been barred from the football building and field in response to her involvement in a now-infamous CBS interview with Belichick.“Two sources at the University of North Carolina tell me that there has been a decision that was made last week by the higher-ups inside the athletic department that had hired Bill Belichick to be the highest paid public employee, not just coach in the state of North Carolina at $10 million a year, and that decision was that Jordon Hudson, she is no longer allowed in the football building,” Torre said. “She is not allowed on the football field. Don’t think you’ll be hearing much from Jordon moving forward.”Torre also reported concerns from Belichick’s family, quoting one source:“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.”Soon after the episode aired, North Carolina issued a statement directly refuting the claim that Hudson had been banned. Speaking to CBS Sports college football reporter Richard Johnson, a UNC representative clarified Hudson’s status with the program.“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities,” the school stated.The statement also outlined her role in relation to Belichick’s activities outside his coaching duties:“She will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”Despite UNC’s denial, Pablo Torre stood by his reporting, stating on social media that the information came from credible, high-ranking sources within the football program.“P.S. UNC can now choose to describe or change its position on Jordon Hudson’s involvement however it wishes, following the publication of our episode,” Torre wrote on X.He added:“We requested comment and filed dozens of FOIA requests that were not satisfied. And we stand by the specific reporting in our episode, which came from the highest levels of the football program.”The discussion around Hudson’s presence in Chapel Hill was fueled by her public behavior during Belichick’s CBS Sunday Morning interview, in which she interrupted a question about how the couple met:Tony Dokoupil (CBS): “How did you guys meet?”Hudson (off camera): “We’re not talking about this.”Dokoupil: “No?”Hudson: “No.”The moment, and the fallout that followed, contributed to reports from The Athletic that Hudson’s influence was a factor in HBO’s cancellation of a Hard Knocks project centered on UNC football. TMZ also reported she had interrupted the CBS interview multiple times.Belichick defended Hudson afterward, accusing CBS of violating agreed-upon terms and selectively editing the interview—a claim the network denied.Also read:Why Jordon Hudson was banned from UNC football facility and what happened in CBS interviewUNC’s statement may settle the question of whether Hudson is formally banned from team facilities, but questions about her influence and visibility within the program remain. As preseason activities begin later this summer, her presence—or absence, at practices and events will likely offer the clearest answer yet.