Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot has covered her fair share of NFL stories. But one of her recent jokes is making headlines for reasons she may not have expected. While accepting the Bill Nunn Memorial Award at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner, Cabot, who began covering the Browns in 1991 under then-rookie head coach Bill Belichick, delivered a zinger that immediately went viral.
“Bill Belichick was the first Browns coach I ever covered,” Cabot recalled. “If Bill didn’t like something I wrote, he’d call and yell at me… But now, I totally understand why Bill gave me such a hard time. I was 28 at the time, and he just couldn’t relate to a woman that old.”
The joke was a clear jab at the widely publicized age gap between 73-year-old Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, a relationship that has faced scrutiny since it came to light earlier this year. While much of the internet laughed along, Hudson didn’t find it amusing.
Jordon Hudson didn't like this Browns beat writer's joke
Hudson reposted a reply to Cabot’s joke on X (formerly Twitter).
“Not much of a ‘laugh,’” said the post. “No wonder so many have contempt for the media, especially those who want to be the story rather than report on the story.”
The response signals Hudson’s growing frustration with how often she and Belichick’s personal life are used as punchlines. It’s not the first time she’s pushed back. Her now-infamous interruption of a CBS interview earlier this year helped fan the flames around their relationship.
For a Browns beat rooted in serious football history, Cabot’s joke brought levity. But Hudson’s clapback reminded everyone. Scrutiny cuts both ways. As Belichick returns to North Carolina to coach college football, the spotlight on his private life and Hudson’s role in it remains as bright as ever.
