Tom Brady’s ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, is back in the headlines nearly four years after the divorce. A new biography has put fresh details about their 13-year marriage into public view, and her surprise return to Victoria’s Secret, the brand that defined her 23-year career, came within weeks of it. For anyone following the sports and celebrity world, the story has a new twist. The couple spent years out of the spotlight while they divorced and moved on. Now the book, Brady’s reported suspicions, and Gisele’s comeback have pulled their personal life back into the conversation.
Gisele Bündchen Biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Gisele Caroline Bündchen |
| Date of Birth | July 20, 1980 |
| Place of Birth | Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Age | 46 years (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Ethnicity | Brazilian of German descent |
| Profession/Occupation | Supermodel, businesswoman, author, environmental activist |
| Years Active | 1994 – present |
| Genre/Field | Fashion and modeling |
| Spouse/Partner | Joaquim Valente (m. 2025); Tom Brady (m. 2009; div. 2022) |
| Children | Benjamin Rein (b. 2009), Vivian Lake (b. 2012), a son with Valente (b. 2025) |
| Parents | Valdir Bündchen and Vânia Nonnenmacher |
| Siblings | Five sisters, including her twin, Patricia |
| Net Worth | Estimated around $400 million |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Notable Works | Victoria’s Secret Angel, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life (2018), Nourish (2024) |
| Awards/Honors | UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador; ranked the world’s highest-paid model for many years |
| Social Media | Instagram: @gisele |
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s Marriage and Divorce
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen were together 16 years and married 13 of them. They were among the most famous couples of their generation. The marriage ended in October 2022, when both announced on social media that the divorce was finalized. The split was amicable on paper, but it surprised fans who had seen them as a picture-perfect pairing.
From Blind Date to Power Couple
A mutual friend set them up on a blind date in late 2006. Brady was already a Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, and Gisele was the world’s top-paid model. Within about two years they were engaged. They married in February 2009 in a small ceremony in Santa Monica, followed by a second celebration in Costa Rica.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Introduced on a blind date |
| 2009 | Married in February; son Benjamin born in December |
| 2012 | Daughter Vivian born |
| 2020 | Brady leaves the Patriots for the Buccaneers |
| Feb 2022 | Brady announces his first retirement |
| Mar 2022 | Brady unretires after about 40 days |
| Oct 2022 | Divorce finalized and announced |
Across those years, the family moved between Boston, New York, and later Florida. Gisele often said she stepped back from her own career during this period to focus on family. That choice comes up again and again when people try to understand what went wrong.
Why Did Tom Brady and Gisele Divorce?
The short answer is football. Brady’s commitment to football, and especially his decision to unretire, is widely seen as the main cause. He played into his mid-40s, long after most quarterbacks stop. Reports at the time said Gisele had repeatedly asked him to retire so the family could have more time together.
When Brady announced his return to the Buccaneers in March 2022, the tension became public. Gisele later gave interviews hinting that she had done her part and wanted him to be more present. Months later, the couple was living apart.
In her statement, Gisele said they had grown apart. She said she felt blessed for their time together and wished Tom the best. Brady’s own post expressed gratitude and promised they would keep raising their children with love. Neither one blamed the other publicly, which is rare in a high-profile separation.
From years of following celebrity splits, I have noticed that the “grown apart” wording usually signals a slow drift rather than a single blowup. That fits this story. The divorce drama was quiet, but it had been building for a long time.
Their Children and Co-Parenting
Gisele and Brady share two children: son Benjamin Rein, born in 2009, and daughter Vivian Lake, born in 2012. Since the split, they have co-parented from homes in South Florida and kept the kids largely out of public view.
Brady also has an older son, Jack, from an earlier relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan. Jack was born in 2007, shortly after Brady and Moynahan split. Gisele has spoken warmly over the years about helping raise him as part of the family.
The blended family setup has worked better than many expected. Brady and Moynahan have co-parented Jack calmly for years, and that same low-drama approach seems to carry over to his arrangement with Gisele. Both parents regularly show up for the kids’ sports and school events.
For parents going through a similar change, this is the practical takeaway: keep the children’s routine stable and keep adult disagreements away from them. Whatever their differences, Brady and Gisele appear to have stuck to that.
Lars Anderson’s Book: Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness
The biggest reason the old divorce is news again is a new biography. Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness, by Lars Anderson, was released by Celadon Books on September 29, 2026. It presents itself as an account of the personal and professional cost of Brady’s career.
The book’s central argument is that Brady’s extreme dedication to football left the marriage unbalanced. Anderson writes that Gisele sacrificed much of her career while Brady was often absent, physically and emotionally. In his telling, their roles were never equal.
Anderson also points to Brady’s refusal to retire as the turning point. According to an excerpt, Gisele was upset by the decision to unretire, and the disagreements that followed were the ones they couldn’t get past. During that period, she flew to Costa Rica for extended time away.
The book shares previously unheard details about the 2022 divorce, but readers should remember it is a biography, not a memoir. Neither Brady nor Gisele has confirmed every claim in it.
Gisele’s Handwritten Letter to Brady
One of the most talked-about passages involves a handwritten letter from Gisele. Brady first mentioned in 2018 that she had written him a letter telling him she was unhappy. The book adds context, saying the letter made clear the marriage wasn’t working as it was.
According to the book, Gisele asked for more of his time, more attention, and help with the kids. She also wanted space to return to her own career. In effect, she wanted his presence at home, not only on the field.
The timing makes the story sting. Brady treated the letter as a wake-up call and made changes for a while. Four years later, they divorced in October 2022, which suggests the underlying issue never fully went away.
Brady’s 11-Day Absence and Bahamas Trip
In August 2022, Brady left Bucs training camp for a mysterious 11-day absence. At the time, the team only said it was for personal reasons, and speculation filled the gap.
Anderson’s book says Brady used that break for a trip with Gisele to a private resort in the Bahamas. He describes it as a final desperate attempt to save the marriage, away from Tampa and the cameras.
It did not work. People close to Brady reportedly said he came back broken in spirit. Looking back, the trip marked the start of the countdown to divorce, which became official about two months later.
Does Tom Brady Suspect Gisele Fed the Tell-All?
Tabloid reports claim Brady suspects Gisele was a source for the tell-all. The idea is that only she could know some of the private marriage matters in the book. There is no evidence that she cooperated with Anderson, and she has not commented.
Anderson has said his reporting draws on teammates, friends, and others in Brady’s circle. That is a large group, and any of them could have shared details. Brady, for his part, has not publicly accused anyone.
Brady is known as fiercely protective of his image and famously competitive. Those who know him say he likes to have the last word. That may explain why the book, and the question of who talked, reportedly bothers him so much.
Gisele’s Life After Divorce: Marriage to Joaquim Valente
Gisele has remarried. She wed Joaquim Valente, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, last December. They filed for a marriage license in Miami-Dade County on December 1 and married on December 3 in a private ceremony at their home in Surfside, Florida.
Valente first entered her life as a teacher. He trained her son, Benjamin, in jiu-jitsu, and Gisele soon joined the classes herself. Their friendship turned into a relationship around June 2023, about eight months after the divorce.
The couple welcomed a son in February 2025, following a pregnancy kept mostly private. They married after roughly two and a half years of dating. Only a small group of close friends and family attended the small ceremony.
Valente is also part of daily life for Brady’s kids with Gisele. By most accounts, he has eased into the role without trying to replace their father. The remarriage completed a quiet rebuild of her personal life, far from the noise of the NFL world.
Gisele’s Victoria’s Secret Return
In October 2026, Gisele made a surprise return to Victoria’s Secret. At the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, she appeared in a pre-taped clip during the livestream, just before Bella Hadid’s runway opening. She also teased fans that they would see more of her soon.
This was not a runway walk. Gisele, now 46, appeared on screen in a pink lace bra and silky robe, a nod to her Angel years. Even so, fans treated it as the comeback they had waited nearly two decades for.
Her history with the brand is a big reason the moment landed. Highlights include:
- 1999: First walked the Victoria’s Secret show
- 2000: Signed a record $25 million contract, the largest of its kind at the time
- 2006: Her last runway walk for the brand, which made it her last show with them
The timing is interesting. Her last Victoria’s Secret show came the same year she met Brady, and she married him soon after. Her return comes three years after the divorce and only weeks after Anderson’s book. Whether planned or not, it shifted the headlines from her past toward her own work.
Gisele Bündchen’s Net Worth and Career Earnings
Gisele’s net worth is estimated at around $400 million. Most of it comes from modeling, which she dominated for more than a decade. Forbes ranked her the world’s highest-paid model for many years in a row.
Beyond the runway, she built long-term deals with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. She has also launched businesses, including a skincare line and wellness collaborations. In 2018 she published her memoir, Lessons, and in 2024 her cookbook, Nourish.
Her environmental work also forms part of her public profile. She served as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and has backed reforestation projects in Brazil. For her, career and activism tend to overlap.
Tom Brady’s Career and Life After Football
Brady is widely seen as the greatest quarterback ever. He won seven Super Bowls: six with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers. He retired for good in February 2023, a year after his first retirement and the unretirement that strained his marriage.
His career numbers explain why so many call him the best:
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Super Bowl wins | 7 |
| Passing yards | 89,214 |
| Touchdown passes | 649 |
| Completions | 7,753 |
Life after football has been busy. Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports and is now the network’s lead NFL analyst. He also became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
He has been single publicly since the divorce, with occasional dating rumors. Most of his public focus is on broadcasting, business, and his three children.
FAQs
Who is Tom Brady’s ex-wife?
Tom Brady’s ex-wife is Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. They married in 2009 and divorced in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. She is now married to Joaquim Valente.
How many children does Gisele Bündchen have?
Gisele has three children. She shares Benjamin and Vivian with Tom Brady and welcomed a son with Joaquim Valente in February 2025.
Did Gisele Bündchen get anything in the divorce?
The settlement terms were never made public. Because both had large separate fortunes and the split was amicable, it was reportedly handled privately without a public court fight.
Is Tom Brady dating anyone now?
Brady has not confirmed a serious relationship since the divorce. He has faced occasional romance rumors, but he keeps his dating life private and focuses on his kids and broadcasting.
What is Gisele Bündchen doing now?
Gisele lives in Florida with her husband and children. She runs wellness and beauty ventures, works on environmental causes, and recently returned to Victoria’s Secret through a video appearance at its 2026 show.
Is Gisele Bündchen still friends with Tom Brady?
They keep a cordial co-parenting relationship. Neither has spoken badly of the other in public, though reports about Lars Anderson’s book suggest there may be some new tension.
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