Charles Barkley says he’s starting to get “concerned” about his longtime friend Bill Belichick, days after the football coach’s controversial CBS interview where his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson frequently interrupted the conversation.
Barkley, 62, said he’s “not sure what’s going on” with Belichick, 73, lately and admitted he’s becoming worried about the newly named University of North Carolina football coach.
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Barkley said during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday. “He’s been a great friend for me for a long time. We’ve been great friends since he coached for the Browns. I think he’s got to be very careful right now. This is starting to be on a very slippery slope. He’s the greatest football coach ever. Him and [former University of Alabama coach] Nick Saban. For college, Nick Saban. For Bill, the NFL.”
Barkley continued: “From what I’m hearing, it’s starting to be a very slippery slope. And I never talk about people’s personal relationships — that’s another rule I got. But, I will admit, I’m a little concerned with some of the stuff that’s going on. I might actually reach out to him to make sure everything’s good, but I am concerned from what I’m hearing. It’s not a good look, right, I’ll admit that.”
The TNT Sports personality’s comments on Belichick came after the former New England Patriots released a statement earlier Wednesday saying he “was surprised” when CBS journalist Tony Dokoupil asked him about his relationship with Hudson and defended his girlfriend, who attended the interview with him and appeared to interrupt every time Dokoupil asked about her.
“She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track,” Belichick said Wednesday. “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.”
In the segment that ultimately aired on CBS, Dokoupil notes that Hudson was “a constant presence” during the interview. The 73-year-old coach’s girlfriend could also be seen sitting in the corner of the room during certain shots and could be heard interjecting.
“We’re not talking about this,” Hudson abruptly says after Belichick is asked how the couple first met.
“No?” Dokoupil responded.
“No,” Hudson doubled down from the corner of the room, leading to an awkward moment in the tense interview.
Belichick and Hudson first began dating in 2023, PEOPLE previously reported — the same year the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach divorced from his ex-wife Linda Holliday after 16 years together. Last December, the couple had their first major public appearance together on the red carpet at the NFL Awards.
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An insider told PEOPLE this week that Belichick has “never been happier” than he is now that he’s dating the 24-year-old former cheerleader, who he calls his “muse” in his new book.
“Bill doesn’t care about all the talk surrounding his and Jordon’s relationship,” the source told PEOPLE. “He’s never been happier than he is with Jordon. She brings a positive energy, and people haven’t seen him this relaxed and laid back in a while.”
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