NEED TO KNOW
- Jordon Hudson was given the style award at the 2025 Miss Maine USA pageant on May 11
- Boyfriend Bill Belichick supported her in the audience, clapping when she received the honor
- Hudson later advanced to the finals with nine other contestants competing for the top prize
Jordon Hudson is one step closer to nabbing the crown at the 2025 Miss Maine USA pageant!
During the event finals on Sunday, May 11, the former college cheerleader, 24, was given the pageant’s style award on stage in Portland, Maine.
In the audience was boyfriend Bill Belichick, who clapped in support when Hudson received the honor. She and the former New England Patriots manager, 73, have been dating since 2023.
Hudson was chosen to receive the honor over 16 other women, who are also competing for the title of Miss Maine USA 2025. After the awards portion of the event, Hudson advanced to the finals with nine other contestants.
The winner of the top crown is automatically selected to represent the New England state in the next round of competition, the 2025 Miss USA pageant.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Each of the Miss Maine contestants represents a different city on stage, with Hudson showing up for the town of Hancock. She previously competed in the pageant last year, when the former cheerleader nabbed the title of runner-up to Miss Maine USA 2024 Anne Baldridge.
Hudson announced her return to the 2025 pageant with an Instagram post on April 9. She shared a headshot of herself dressed in a green gown with a silver and white sash that read “Miss Hancock USA” on the front.
“Happy International Pageant Day 👑✨,” she began her caption. “I couldn’t think of a better day to share with the world that I will be competing for Miss Maine USA 2025; representing my hometown Hancock. 🫶🏼💜 [insert mussel shell emoji].”
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Hudson recently made headlines for her relationship with Belichick. On April 27, the couple caught some criticism after their awkward CBS News appearance.
Belichick sat down for a Sunday Morning segment timed ahead of the release of his book The Art of Winning: Lessons from a Life in Football. He was joined on air by Hudson, whom reporter Tony Dokoupil described as a “constant presence” during the interview.
The broadcast became tense when she shut down the reporter’s question about how the pair met. Dokoupil moved on from the uncomfortable pause by stating in a voiceover, “It’s a topic neither one of them is comfortable commenting on.”
Hudson was the first to speak out about what happened, initially posting emails sent by the former NFL coach on Instagram.
“Full statement COMING SOON,” Hudson captioned a screenshot of correspondence from Belichick to what appear to be his book publishers, explaining his concerns over promotion for his new memoir.
Belichick seemed upset in the email about an article that focused more on his admission that he “f—– up” in a Super Bowl over the “260+ pages” of other topics in the book.
“I am not going to be the conductor of a hype train in the book promotion — we have enough hype to work with,” he continued in the message, which is dated April 10, two and a half weeks before his CBS Sunday Morning interview aired.
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
A few days later, Belichick issued his own statement regarding his and Hudson’s widely discussed moment during the broadcast. He maintained that the purpose of the conversation was to promote his book, and he was not prepared to discuss “unrelated topics” on air. He claimed to be surprised when Dokoupil questioned Belichick about other details regarding his life.
“She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track,” read Belichick’s statement, which was sent via email from his employer, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on April 30.
He also addressed Hudson’s quick response to the question about their first meeting, which led to viewers’ speculation about the origin of their relationship. “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,” said the former New England Patriots coach,
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, CBS refuted Belichick’s assertions that there were off-limits topics.
“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.”
Read the full article here
