![Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady seen doing some shopping and getting an ice-cream in Portofino with their children Benjamin Rein and John Edward Thomas Moynahan. 29 Jun 2022 Pictured: Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady, Vivien Lake Brady. Photo credit: Oliver Palombi / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA873314_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen.jpg?fit=330%2C440)
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen were one of the most iconic power couples of the 21st century, spending almost 16 years together and 13 of them married. The NFL legend and the retired supermodel officially announced their divorce on October 28, 2022, following reported tensions over Tom’s decision to un-retire from football earlier that year. Both released statements calling it a “difficult” decision, but emphasized mutual respect and their shared commitment to co-parenting.
Their relationship began in 2006 and almost didn’t last beyond its early days—just two months in, Tom’s ex, Bridget Moynahan, announced she was pregnant with his child. Despite the initial challenge, Tom and Gisele built a life together, welcoming two kids and often publicly supporting each other’s careers.
Since the split, Tom has officially retired from the NFL, and Gisele has returned to modeling and spoken candidly about life after their breakup. In a September 2023 interview with People, she described the divorce as “tough,” but said she remains focused on healing and family.
Here’s the iconic couple’s romantic timeline.
Dec. 2006: The blind date
After being set up by a pal, Gisele agreed to meet Tom for a drink. It was love at first sight for the Brazilian beauty. Even though Tom was still in a relationship with Bridget, their two year romance was winding down. “I knew right way — the first time I saw him,” she told Vanity Fair in a 2009 profile. “We met through a friend. The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, ‘That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I’ve ever seen!'”
“We sat and talked for three hours. I had to go home for Christmas, but I didn’t want to leave,” she added. “You know that feeling of, like, you can’t get enough? From the first day we met, we’ve never spent one day without speaking to each other.” She later told Jimmy Fallon in a 2018 Tonight Show appearance, “You know, when I saw those kind eyes, I literally fell in love, like, right away. I was like, ‘What?’ He was just so — you know how sweet he is.” The couple began dating and went public with their relationship a month later
Feb. 2007: Tom and Gisele deal with Bridget’s surprise pregnancy
Two months into their romance, the couple faced a major hurdle. Bridget revealed that she was pregnant with Tom’s child, even though they had split up and he had moved on to dating Gisele. It was a tough decision for the model to stay with Tom or break up with him and avoid the drama. “Two months into our relationship, Tom told me that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant. The very next day, the news was everywhere and I felt my world had been turned upside down,” she wrote in her 2018 memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life.
“It was a challenging thing because here I am, you know, thinking, I’m dating this guy, we met, and we started dating and everything is great and then this happens,” Gisele revealed to Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning in 2015. “So, then I felt like I didn’t know what to do. “It was kind of one of those moments of like, ‘Do I just run away?'” She didn’t, and Tom and Gisele remained firm as a couple.
Aug 2007: Tom becomes a dad, but not by Gisele
Bridget gave birth to Tom’s son John Edward Thomas Moynahan on Aug. 22, 2007. Rather than it driving a wedge between Tom and Gisele, it made her feel even closer to her man. She absolutely adored Tom’s baby boy, going on to call him in numerous interview her “bonus child.” “[He made] my heart expand in ways I didn’t know was possible,” Bündchen wrote in her memoir about the maternal feelings she had for the boy. “Jack” as he is called, is now a teenager and looks exactly like his handsome father.
Jan. 2009: Tom and Gisele get engaged
After two years of dating, Tom popped the question to Gisele. But he used some trickery to make it a surprise. Gisele finally explained to the world how it all went down during a “73 questions” video she did for Vogue in June 2018. “When he proposed to me, he made up this whole story how my apartment was flooding. And I ran over there to try to fix the situation.”
“When I got there, the whole apartment had candles and rose petals everywhere, and then he went down on his knees to propose, and I’m like, ‘get up!’ because he just had surgery and had three staph infections,” Bündchen said in the 2018 video. “And I was like ‘What are you doing?’ He’s like, ‘I gotta go on my knees,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no, no! Get up, please!’ And so here we are!” She called it the “most romantic” thing Tom had done in their relationship.
Feb. 2009: Tom and Gisele marry
Tom and Gisele weren’t ones for a long engagement, as they got married a month after he proposed. The pair quietly wed in an intimate ceremony on the night of Thurs. Feb. 26, 2009 at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica, CA. Just their parents were in attendance. Her father Valdir Bundchen walked her down the aisle to Tom, who wore a dark suit and grey tie. Gisele donned a figure hugging white lace wedding gown with a wide train, along with a veil with lace accents around the bottom.
They pair later held a second ceremony at her beachside home in Costa Rica in April 2009 for friends and extended family members. Gisele revealed during her Vogue 73 questions that she gave out The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz to all of their wedding guests, saying it is one of her “favorite books.”
Dec. 2009: Tom and Gisele become parents
As if a proposal and two weddings weren’t enough to make 2009 special, Tom and Gisele welcomed their first child together, son Benjamin Brady on Dec. 8, 2009. She opted for a home water birth at the couple’s Beacon Street townhouse in Boston, where Benny was born in a bathtub.
“The doctor told me that it was too dangerous for me to have a home birth,” she revealed in her 2018 book Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life. “He said that Benny was in an unusual position, my hips were too small, and the odds just weren’t in my favor.” She said Tom also urged a hospital birth, but Gisele won out, as she wrote that she “always dreamed of giving birth naturally, at home.”
Dec. 2012: Gisele causes controversy by dissing Tom’s teammates after a Super Bowl loss
Throughout their relationship, Gisele has always been Tom’s number one supporter and cheerleader when it comes to his football career. But she seemed to throw his teammates under the bus after the Patriots lost to the New York Giants during Super Bowl XLVI. Tom’s receivers dropped the ball on several key plays that possibly cost them the game, and Gisele was pissed!
“My husband cannot f**king throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times,” she yelled to reporters while getting on an elevator after the game. An outburst like that had to have upset Tom with her diss at his teammates, but the pair put on a loving front by heading to Costa Rica on vacation a few weeks later.
Dec. 2012: Tom and Gisele become parents…again
Tom and Gisele welcomed daughter Vivian Lake Brady into the world on Dec. 5, 2012. Gisele never announced she was expecting, but paparazzi shots clearly showed her pregnancy leading up to Vivian’s arrival. With Tom’s son Jack and the couple’s son Benny, their family was now complete. The couple did not go on to have any more children after Vivian’s arrival, with three being their perfect number.
2018: Gisele tells Tom she’s unhappy in their marriage
While the couple seemed like the picture of bliss to the world, Tom revealed in an interview with Howard Stern in Apr. 2020 that Gisele wrote him a letter in 2018 telling him sharing her feelings of unhappiness in their marriage. His wife felt that Tom spent too much time focused on football and business ventures and not enough time with their family.
“She felt like I would play football all season and she would take care of the house and all the sudden when the season would end, I would be like, ‘Great, let me get into all my other business activities. Let me get into my football training,” Tom told Howard. “And she’s sitting there going, ‘Well, when are you going to do things for the house? When are you going to take the kids to school and do that?’ And that was a big part of our marriage. I had to, like, check myself. Because she’s like, ‘I have goals and dreams too’.” Tom revealed that the pair ended up going to couples counseling to resolve their issues.
2019: Tom and Gisele celebrate 10 years of marriage with loving messages
On Feb. 26, 2009, both Tom and Gisele shared romantic Instagram posts on their 10th wedding anniversary. Gisele shared a wedding photo of the couple staring into each other’s eyes, as well as two shots of them being loving and goofy. She wrote, “I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since we’ve chose to walk this life together… and what incredible 10 years we’ve had! There is nothing that I love more in this world than you and our family. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for doing the work that it takes to make it so special. May we continue growing together, walking side by side supporting and loving one another for many many years to come. Te amo tanto.”
Tom shared an IG photo of the couple kissing at their wedding after being pronounced husband and wife. He wrote in the caption, “Ten years ago, I didn’t realize how much I could love you and the family we created together. My heart is so full and I am so blessed! I know our journey has not been easy, but the challenges we have overcome have made our bond stronger and our love grow deeper. Thank you for loving me, for supporting my dreams, and for nurturing our family in the way that only you could. You are my rock, my love and my light! I love you and I love our family!”
Feb. 2022: Tom retires from the NFL
After 22 years in the NFL, and seven Super Bowl wins, Tom announced his retirement from football on February 1, 2022. After sharing the big news via Instagram, he also shared some kind words to Gisele and his three children. “To my wife, Gisele, and my children Jack, Benny andy Vivi. You are my inspiration. Our family is my greatest achievement,” he wrote. “I always came off the, field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our familv to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness Allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family. Te amo amor da minha vida.”
March 2022: Tom un-retires from the NFL
Tom officially reversed his retirement decision on March 13, 2022. “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG,” he said on social media. Gisele seemed to support her husband’s decision at that point. “Here we go again! Let’s go lovvvey! Let’s go Bucs!” Gisele wrote in a comment to Tom’s post.
Aug/Sept. 2022: Tom & Gisele allegedly have ‘tension’ in their marriage.
In August 2022, Tom took a break from the Buccaneers training camp for a “personal issue.” That started the rising speculation of a tiff between Tom and Gisele, who allegedly was having a hard time with Tom flaking on retirement. “Gisele did her best to adjust to Tom’s decision to go back [to the NFL], but it hasn’t been easy for her because that wasn’t their agreement,” a source told HollywoodLife. “She’s a very supportive wife, but she also speaks her truth, so there’s been a lot of tension since he went back,” the insider added. Amidst the issues, Gisele reportedly left the family home in Florida to spend some time in Costa Rica. She returned to Tampa ahead of the 2022 NFL season, but did not attend Tom’s away game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, September 11. Gisele did support Tom by tweeting, “Let’s go Tom Brady!” before the game, which the Bucs won 19-3.
Gisele did an interview for Elle’s October 2022 issue before Tom’s break from training camp and addressed his un-retirement. “Obviously, I have my concerns—this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” said Gisele. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too.”
After the Bucs-Cowboys game, Tom said that “football and family” have always been his top priorities on his SiriusXM show. “I’m finding peace in other ways of life and just loving, you know, the time when my kids are getting a little bit older. And football and family has always been the most important thing to me so it’s a good time of year,” the famous athlete said.
Oct. 2022: Tom & Gisele Hire Divorce Lawyers
Amid the many reports that the pair have been having relationship problems, it was revealed that Tom and Gisele had each hired divorce lawyers on retainer, as sources told Page Six. “I don’t think there will be any coming back now. They both have lawyers and are looking at what a split will entail, who gets what and what the finances will be,” an insider told the outlet. After news broke about the lawyers, Gisele was spotted working out on her own in Miami.
Tom and Gisele Get Divorced
Tom and Gisele filed court papers to end their marriage in Florida on October 28 and confirmed that the divorce was “finalized” already. TMZ reported that Gisele filed for divorce and Tom, 45, is not contesting her decision. Both stars confirmed the divorce in separate statements that they shared on their respective Instagram Stories.
Tom Brady announced that he and Gisele Bündchen divorced: pic.twitter.com/QHXdHT9Baw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2022
Statement from Gisele: pic.twitter.com/22eCXZLSl0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 28, 2022
Tom’s statement read, “In recent days, my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage. We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve.”
Gisele said in her statement, “With much gratitude for our time together, Tom and I have amicably finalized our divorce. My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart. We will continue co-parenting to give them the love, care and attention they deserve. The decision to end a marriage is never easy, but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”
After the Divorce
Since their 2022 split, Gisele and Tom have continued to adjust to co-parenting while moving forward with their personal lives. Both stars have been at the center of dating rumors, but until recently, neither had confirmed a new public relationship.
Tom officially retired from the NFL for good in February 2023 and received support from Gisele at the time. He later paid tribute to her on Mother’s Day, calling her a “wonderful mother” in a social media post. Gisele also opened up about the emotional toll of the divorce during a People interview in September 2023, saying, “It’s been very tough on my family. It’s been a lot — in every area of my life… All we can do is the best we can given what happens in our surroundings.”
Then, in October 2024, TMZ reported that Gisele is expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Jiujitsu instructor Joaquim Valente. According to the outlet, she privately shared the pregnancy news with Tom and their two children, Benjamin and Vivian.
Gisele reportedly gave birth in early 2025, welcoming her third child and Joaquim’s first.