Bill Belichick sits front row as girlfriend shoots him a wink in beauty pageant

Bill Belichick had a front-row seat as his girlfriend Jordon Hudson appeared in the swimsuit round of the Miss Maine USA pageant.

During the preliminary competition on Saturday, May 10, the contestants lined up in their summer-ready attire, yet another outfit type they’ve sported onstage during the two-day pageant in Portland, Maine. Hudson, 24, strutted her stuff in a shimmery green bikini and heels as Belichick, 73, looked on from his prime spot in the audience.

Hudson topped off her stylish swimwear look with a white “Hancock” sash in a nod to the town she is representing.

The former cheerleader is competing alongside 16 other women vying for the crown at the state-wide pageant. The winner is automatically selected to represent Maine in the next round of competition, the 2025 Miss USA pageant.

Last year, Hudson landed the runner-up title for Miss Maine USA, and she announced her return to the New England 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].”

Along with to her return to Miss Maine USA, Hudson recently made headlines for her relationship with UNC-Chapel Hill football coach Bill Belichick, 73, whom she has been dating for over two years. In addition to their frequent public outings together and regular social media activity, the couple caught some criticism after their awkward CBS News appearance on April 27.

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.”

A few days later, Belichick issued a 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. Belichick said he “clearly communicated” with his publishing publicist that promotional interviews would focus “solely on the contents of the book.”

The former New England Patriots coach said he was surprised when Dokoupil questioned Belichick about other details regarding his life. “After this occurred several times, Jordon, with whom I share both a personal and professional relationship, stepped in to reiterate that point to help refocus the discussion,” Belichick continued in the 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.

“She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track,” Belichick’s statement read. “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 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.”