Charissa Thompson Shares Surprising Backstory Behind Erin Andrews’ Coat (Exclusive)
The infamous fur coat that took the world by storm almost had an entirely different backstory.
Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews nearly set social media ablaze with the faux fur coat she donned on the sidelines during the NFL Wild Card playoff clash between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11.
Interestingly, Andrews’ close friend and podcast cohost, Charissa Thompson, nearly wore it first.
“You’re going to love this story,” Thompson, 43, shared exclusively with Us Weekly while promoting her collaboration with Bounty. “I was covering a game in Chicago [on January 10]. It was the iconic Packers-Bears game, which came down to the wire. The Bears won, and with the frigid Chicago temperatures, I packed several outfits—including that jacket, the very one Erin wore.”
Thompson elaborated, “Typically, we don’t discuss our outfits beforehand. We just end up on air, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I adore that,’ and she responds, ‘I love this too,’ or something similar. I had this jacket all packed and absolutely loved it, but on the day, I opted for a more monochromatic cream snowsuit instead.”
The following day, Thompson struggled to get the stream of Andrews’ game on her phone during her ride to the airport, when suddenly, her phone began buzzing with messages.
“Out of nowhere, I start receiving texts from my boyfriend in our group chat—‘Erin, your jacket is amazing. I love it!’ And I was like, ‘What jacket is she wearing?’” Thompson recounted. “Then, I saw her on my YouTube TV screen wearing the same jacket I had planned to wear the day before.”
In that moment, Thompson realized she had to act.
“I hopped into the back of the Suburban,” Thompson described. “I pulled the jacket from my luggage, put it on, snapped a picture, and by the end of the game, she was laughing when she received the text. She said, ‘Only you and I would have the same jacket!’”
Thompson added, “I told her, ‘I’m so glad I didn’t wear it.’ I asked if she had a backup jacket, and she replied, ‘No!’ It’s classic us. Erin and I share the same birthday, so perhaps there’s this telepathic connection we have.”
As Thompson prepares for Super Bowl 2026, she has partnered with Bounty’s Wingman campaign along with her Fox Sports colleague, NFL legend Rob Gronkowski.
“I enjoy having fun, but I can be a bit messy at times,” Thompson admitted. “Gronk and I spend our Sundays watching football together for 12 hours. We eat a lot, and then, of course, we need to head back on national television. We frequently use Bounty paper towels to clean up the mess, whether it’s from food on our faces or spills on our outfits.”
