Tom Brady’s long and decorated career came at a personal cost. He repeatedly went back on his promise to retire, and when he finally stepped away for good, it also marked the end of his marriage. Gisele Bündchen, his wife of 13 years, chose to walk away, not out of bitterness, but with mutual respect and understanding. Despite their differences, they parted ways amicably, knowing they shared not only two children but also countless happy memories.
Advertisement
In the time since, Gisele has opened up about her journey, both the woman she was when she met Brady, and who she has become after their separation. When their paths first crossed, Gisele was already a global supermodel, but privately, she was navigating a very different reality. At the height of her modeling career, she had fallen into unhealthy habits that left her physically drained and emotionally unfulfilled.
However, just before meeting Tom, she had made a major life shift. She gave up those unhealthy routines and committed to healing her body and mind from the inside out. By the time they met, she felt healthier, happier, and more at peace. Her priorities had shifted, and she embraced a new phase of life, one centered on love, family, and personal well-being. As she transitioned from catwalks to motherhood, she rarely missed the high life that once brought her fame and fortune.
“Not at all. I was there to take my kids to school every day, make them breakfast every morning, and just be with them. What a gift. They grow up so fast, you know. You wake up, and you’re like What happened?”
Today, much of that remains the same. But post-divorce, Gisele has had to reinvent herself once more. Where she once poured her energy into preserving her marriage, she now focuses that energy on herself, reclaiming her identity, her passions, and her peace. The end of her relationship with Brady, after 16 meaningful years, was undoubtedly painful. But Gisele has come to terms with it, recognizing that change is life’s only constant.
She has said that while she wishes things had turned out differently, she understands why the divorce was necessary. People grow, priorities shift, and sometimes couples grow apart instead of together.
Yet, Gisele Bündchen wouldn’t change a thing. Her relationship with Brady brought her two beautiful children, and for that, she is eternally grateful. Now, she finds healing and comfort in her kids and nature, two forces that continue to ground her.
” I look into my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wouldn’t have done it if they say Could you change something in your life I wouldn’t change absolutely anything. It’s not what I dreamed of and what I hoped. My parents have been married for 50 years, and I really wanted that to happen, but I think you have to accept that, you know, sometimes that way you are in your 20s, it’s sometimes you grow together, sometimes you grow apart. I’m so grateful he gave me wonderful children.”
Having left the fashion world behind, she has embraced a simpler, more purposeful life. She’s pivoted from modeling to farming, endorsing only the products and values she truly believes in. In many ways, she’s returned to her roots: a small-town girl who rose to global stardom, and who’s now reconnecting with the earth, with herself, and with a more grounded kind of success.
