Bill Belichick was reportedly assured by his book publicist that his CBS Sunday Morning interview would stick to topics related to his new book

New details have emerged more than a month after Bill Belichick’s controversial CBS Sunday Morning interview aired.

According to TMZ, the senior director of publicity at Simon & Schuster, David Kass, made some assurances to the former New England Patriots coach. Per the outlet, Kass, the publicist of Bill’s book, told him that the interview would be about his upcoming memoir, The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football. He reportedly emailed Belichick on April 9 (via TMZ):

“I can assure you that the conversation [will be] about the book.”

Kass added:

“This is a book segment that looks at your life in football and what people can learn from you to achieve success in their own lives.”

TMZ claimed that the head football coach at UNC (University of North Carolina) was hesitant to get interviewed and turned down multiple opportunities from different outlets. It was David Kass who persuaded him to have a conversation on CBS Sunday Morning. The NFL legend was reportedly concerned about questions straying away from the subject of his book. According to TMZ, Kass insisted and wrote:

“I wouldn't be this insistent if this wasn't so important to book sales and without risk.”

On April 8, Kass reportedly told Bill Belichick that the network would not provide any questions beforehand. Per TMZ, The book publicist had previously communicated to the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach in writing that he had spoken to a producer at CBS:

“[A]bout sticking to the book and shared that if they do, they'll get a great interview, and he was really open, saying he's not interested in going beyond the book."

Kass had reportedly informed Bill Belichick about one question that might be about his personal life. Per TMZ, the publicist emailed The Art of Winning about the interview being a “Puff Piece” that might have made everyone look good and helped sell the book.

David Kass ended up missing Bill Belichick’s CBS Sunday Morning interview that captured a viral Jordon Hudson moment

According to TMZ, the Simon & Schuster senior director was absent when Tony Dokoupil’s conversation with the ex-Patriots coach was shot. The interview seemingly turned awkward when Belichick was asked questions about Robert Kraft, the NFL New England team owner. Bill Belichick reportedly didn’t mention Kraft in his book.

Dokoupil also asked the ex-New York Jets coach about his partner, Jordon Hudson, who was also present behind during the shooting. She stepped in and directed the host:

“We’re not talking about this.”

While Hudson’s remarks later went viral, she was reportedly trying to call David Kass but couldn’t reach out to him, per TMZ. Sources told the outlet that Kass had emailed Bill’s team before the interview about accompanying him at Annapolis High School, Maryland, where the interview was shot. Insiders told TMZ:

“[Kass] had asked Bill if he wanted me there and he didn't seem to care, so I thought it best to stay back and not lose all that time in transit.”

The CBS Sunday Morning interview aired on April 27 and sparked controversy around Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson’s relationship. The coach later issued a statement mentioning communicating with his book's publicist regarding the interviews focusing solely on his memoir. He also called out the network and Tony Dokoupil and added (via TMZ):

“Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview. I was surprised when unrelated topics were introduced, and I repeatedly expressed to the reporter, Tony Dokoupil, and the producers that I preferred to keep the conversation centered on the book.”

Bill Belichick defended Jordon Hudson and asserted that she stepped in to bring the discussion back to his book. Hudson also shared a screenshot of the interview, highlighting his partner’s initial communication to the book publicist.

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At the same time, CBS News also released a statement claiming that the discussion with Bill had “no preconditions or limitations,” which was also confirmed with his publisher multiple times before and after the interview.

Weeks after his conversation on CBS Sunday Morning, Bill Belichick appeared on ABC News’ Good Morning America, speaking about his book that dropped on May 6.

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