Invoice Belichick was assured by his ebook publicist simply days earlier than his now-infamous sitdown with “CBS Sunday Morning” that his interview for the present would intently stick with subjects associated to his new ebook … TMZ Sports activities has discovered.
Sources accustomed to the state of affairs inform us … again on April 9, Simon & Schuster’s senior director of publicity, David Kass, wrote to Belichick, “I can guarantee you that the dialog [will be] concerning the ebook.”
“This can be a ebook phase,” Kass added, “that appears at your life in soccer and what individuals can be taught from you to attain success in their very own lives.”
On April 21, simply lower than two weeks after that message was despatched, Belichick fielded no fewer than six questions from Tony Dokoupil for the CBS segment that appeared to be unrelated to his new “The Art Of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football” work.
Four of them surrounded his relationship with Robert Kraft — who was not mentioned in the Belichick tome. Others, we’re told, involved Belichick’s portrayal in “The Dynasty: New England Patriots,” a popular 2024 TV miniseries. At least two other inquiries centered around his personal connection with his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Bill Belichick opened up to @tonydokoupil about his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, who he calls his “artistic muse,” although each stay largely personal about their connection. pic.twitter.com/9y5tlBeD6I
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) April 28, 2025
@CBSSunday
Our sources say Belichick was livid … as though it was anticipated there could be potential questions on Kraft and Hudson, he anticipated them solely being associated to their roles in his ebook, or in Kraft’s case, lack thereof.
Sources say Belichick had really shot down a number of interview alternatives Kass had put in entrance of him over considerations the media retailers would use his ebook promotion as a method to pry into topics not associated to the precise ebook.
We’re informed Belichick had even at factors needed to show down CBS … however Kass was adamant he do it, writing to the 73-year-old, “I would not be this insistent if this wasn’t so necessary to ebook gross sales and with out threat.”
Kass, our sources say, really flew to North Carolina on March 20 to encourage Belichick to go together with their advertising and marketing technique. Then, within the days following their in-person meet-up, Kass ensured Belichick in writing that he had talked to a CBS producer “about sticking to the ebook and shared that in the event that they do, they’re going to get an ideal interview, and he was actually open, saying he isn’t fascinated with going past the ebook.”
Kass did warn Belichick on March 26 “there would seemingly be one query about what you are to this point.” Moreover, on April 8, he said CBS wouldn’t present any inquiries to them prematurely, clearly making Belichick conscious there was at the least some probability of surprises. Kass additionally, we’re informed, provided at the least as soon as to arrange a name with a present producer so they might “discuss issues by” earlier than Belichick obtained within the interview chair.
However in response to sources, Kass in the end wrote to Belichick the “CBS Sunday Morning” phase could be a “puff piece” that was “designed to make everybody look good and promote books.”
We’re informed Kass didn’t go together with Belichick to the interview, which befell at Invoice’s former highschool, Annapolis H.S. in Maryland. Our sources say Kass opted out, writing to the coach’s workforce he “had requested Invoice if he needed me there and he did not appear to care, so I believed it finest to remain again and never lose all that point in transit.”
In Kass’ absence, Hudson — who sat close to present producer Gabriel Falcon throughout filming — took it upon herself to talk out and attempt to steer the Dokoupil interview again towards ebook subjects. Our sources say Hudson really tried to name Kass as issues obtained off monitor, however she couldn’t get in contact with him.
The ultimate minimize ended up airing on April 27 … and it drew a lot unfavorable publicity, Belichick launched a press release to attempt to clarify what he believed brought about all of it to go so sideways.
“Previous to this interview,” he wrote, “I clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would conform to focus solely on the contents of the ebook.”
“Sadly, that expectation was not honored through the interview. I used to be stunned when unrelated subjects had been launched, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I most popular to maintain the dialog centered on the ebook. After this occurred a number of occasions, Jordon, with whom I share each a private {and professional} relationship, stepped in to reiterate that time to assist refocus the dialogue.”
He continued, “The ultimate eight-minute phase doesn’t mirror the productive 35-minute dialog we had, which coated a variety of subjects associated to my profession. As an alternative, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from only a few minutes of the interview to recommend a false narrative — that Jordon was making an attempt to manage the dialog — which is just not true.”
Hudson, too, tried to make clear the state of affairs after the present aired … posting on her Instagram web page an April 10 e-mail Belichick had despatched to Kass and others that confirmed her boyfriend emphasizing he needed to advertise “The Artwork Of Profitable” with out addressing “all the present occasions that do not have something to do with the ebook.” She added a Taylor Swift music to the IG submit that seemed to be a jab at Kass — “Look What You Made Me Do.”
CBS ended up releasing its personal assertion on every part, writing, “Once we agreed to talk with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview. There have been no preconditions or limitations to this dialog. This was confirmed repeatedly together with his writer earlier than the interview befell and after it was accomplished.”
Kass has but to publicly tackle the state of affairs. Simon & Schuster, in the meantime, declined to remark once we reached out on Tuesday.
Previous to becoming a member of Simon & Schuster, Kass labored because the vp government director of publicity at Hilsinger Mendelson, the place he described himself as “a straight shooter whose phrase could be relied upon.”
In his bio on Simon & Schuster’s web site, Kass — who as soon as helped Jeff Benedict‘s Robert Kraft-themed ebook, “The Dynasty,” attain the New York Instances’ bestseller listing — said he has a ardour for “orchestrating significant publicity campaigns for titles that serve a bigger suggest, uncover truths, and inform nice tales.”
“He sees ebook publishing and the related media campaigns as a chance to actually change minds,” the bio reads.
Makes an attempt to achieve Belichick for remark this week had been unsuccessful.