Jordon Hudson seems aware of what critics are saying about her relationship with Bill Belichick. She also appears to be trying to turn some of those barbs into cash.
Ms. Hudson, the 24-year-old beauty pageant contestant, filed a trademark application on Monday for the phrase “gold digger,” with the stated intention of using it on jewelry and key chains.
TCE Rights Management, the company that filed the application, is managed by Ms. Hudson and was incorporated in Massachusetts, where Mr. Belichick coached the New England Patriots to six championships — earning more than $200 million along the way. Mr. Belichick, 73, is now preparing for his first season as the football coach at the University of North Carolina, where he will earn $10 million a year, plus various bonuses. Ms. Hudson, whom he met on a plane in 2021, has seldom been far from his side.
Mr. Belichick’s relationship with Ms. Hudson — and their nearly 49-year age difference — has been a source of curiosity since the couple went public last year.
Some eyebrows were raised by the age gap when they were first seen together, but it was not until Mr. Belichick appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning” in April to promote his memoir that Ms. Hudson truly became a person of public interest. Ms. Hudson was sitting off camera, at a producer’s table, when Mr. Belichick was asked a question about how they had met.
“We’re not talking about this,” Ms. Hudson interjected.
CBS aired the clip, and the discourse began in earnest. The interest only intensified when CBS described Ms. Hudson as a “constant presence” during the interview, helping foster the sense that she was important to Mr. Belichick — and increasingly influential in his day-to-day life.
In May, Ms. Hudson returned to the spotlight at the Miss Maine USA contest. Mr. Belichick had a front-row seat as he watched Ms. Hudson place third, one year after she finished as the runner-up.
Meanwhile, Ms. Hudson has assumed control of Mr. Belichick’s personal brand while seemingly asserting herself as a business partner to one of the sports world’s most prominent figures.
And, as her most recent trademark application suggests, she is not shying away from her critics.
Ms. Hudson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The term “gold digger” is not exactly new, and it is hardly unique to Ms. Hudson. While it was once used in a literal sense — as a reference to someone who, you guessed it, digs for gold — it began to take on new meaning in the early 20th century as a disparaging term for a younger woman who pursues rich men for their money.
There are currently eight active registered trademarks for “gold digger,” for use on items including snowmobile ice studs, ear picks, fishing poles and metal detectors, and another seven, including Ms. Hudson’s, that are pending approval. If you include variations on the phrase, there are many more.
Still, the choice by Ms. Hudson to embrace “gold digger” could be akin to a move by the W.N.B.A. player Angel Reese who tried to deflate her critics by filing a trademark application for “mebounds,” a term that was originally coined by basketball fans who were poking fun at her propensity for grabbing rebounds off her own missed shots.
Ms. Hudson has applied for 21 other trademarks through TCE Rights Management — most likely an abbreviation for Trouble Cub Enterprises, a phrase she has used in the past — including “Trail of Salty Tears,” “All-Belichick Team,” “Peachy Keen and Wonderful,” “Chapel Bill” and “The Belichick Way.”
The various marks, most of which center on merchandise related to Mr. Belichick (none of which have been approved), may never result in associated products. But if Ms. Hudson’s “gold digger” application is successful, the days of anyone being able to put that phrase on a key chain without her approval will officially be over.
Benjamin Hoffman contributed reporting.
Scott Cacciola writes features and profiles of people in the worlds of sports and entertainment for the Styles section of The Times.
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