Gisele Bundchen, 42, and her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente, have been spotted once again in Costa Rica. The friends were seen on Monday, March 13 on a casual stroll on a dirt road as some dogs followed them in photos obtained by TMZ that can be seen here. The model showed off her rock-solid abs in a brown bandeau bikini top, a tan sarong, and flip-flops. The outing came about two months after the duo was seen horseback riding in the Central American country, where Gisele used to vacation with her ex-husband, NFL legend Tom Brady.
Gisele and Joaquim have been spotted out and about several times over the last year in America and Costa Rica. They sparked romance rumors in Nov. 2022 after they were photographed enjoying a meal at Koji, a restaurant in Costa Rica’s Provincia de Puntarenas, with Gisele and Tom’s two kids, Benjamin, 13, and Vivienne, 10. However, Gisele has stated in the past that she only knows Joaquim because she originally signed Benjamin up for lessons, and then she, too, fell in love with the art. “Initially, I wasn’t even considering it for myself, to be honest with you. But, when I bought [Ben] into the first class, and started talking with Joaquim, I realized it was much more than self-defense,” she told Dust Magazine in 2022.
Earlier this year, a person close to Gisele revealed she and Joaquim — who runs a training facility in Miami, Fla. with his family — were getting along very well. “Gisele adores and trusts [Joaquim] and has been spending a lot of time with him,” the insider told PEOPLE. The individual added that their relationship is not a “traditional dating scenario.”
“They have a deep personal relationship, and he is a teacher to her and the kids,” the source continued. “Whether or not it will ever become more than that rests on the table.”
Meanwhile, another source said the Brazilian star is “focused on her kids, her health, and work” and spoke about her outlook on 2023. “She feels excited and hopeful about the new year. Last year was rough, but she is confident that things will just keep going up from here,” they explained. “She has no regrets. She wishes Tom the best, but is confident that the divorce was the right option.”
Neither Gisele nor Joaquim has commented on their relationship as of this writing.