Inside Tom Brady's Relationship With Gisele Bundchen
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have been delighting the public (and one another) since they were first matched up on a blind date by a mutual friend all the way back in 2006. Since then, a lot has changed for the couple. They share three children, including Brady's oldest son, Jack, who the couple co-parents with Brady's ex Bridget Moynahan (per Today). They've also successfully navigated two demanding careers, though both have been honest about the fact that Bündchen has had to put a lot of her own aspirations on the back burner in order to balance out the pair's home and work life (via the New York Post).
While they have certainly experienced low points during their marriage, both Brady and Bündchen have demonstrated a commitment to making things work. Whether it means moving from Boston, Massachusetts, to Tampa, Florida, chasing football games and titles, giving birth in a bathtub (per ABC News), or learning the best way to communicate together, these two seem to have it all figured out. Here's a look at a marriage that has so far successfully spanned more than a decade.
Tom Brady met Gisele Bündchen on a blind date in 2006
To say it was a surprise when Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen first met one another is a bit of an understatement. Brady told Howard Stern that the two were introduced on a blind date, but that he was more than aware of the fact that his future wife was "the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life." However, the timing wasn't exactly ideal for either of them. As Brady recalled, "I had gotten out of a relationship and she had been out of a long-term relationship that she had, so when we met I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for a relationship" (per Life & Style).
Gisele also spoke about the blind date in an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon." She shared that the experience was actually part of a string of blind dates that friends had been setting her up on in a bid to find her a new boyfriend, and admitted that she was into Brady as soon as she met him: "You know, when I saw those kind eyes, I literally fell in love, like, right away."
They found out Tom Brady was having a baby with his ex two months into their relationship
Even though they both clearly had big feelings for one another right away, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's emerging relationship wasn't smooth for long. The pair were rocked by the news that Brady's ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan was expecting a baby with the football star only two months into their own relationship. In her memoir, "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life," Bündchen admitted that she struggled with the news, explaining that the public found out about the pregnancy the day after she did (via Us Weekly).
Bündchen also admitted that she contemplated ending the relationship then and there because the pregnancy news seemed a little impossible to deal with. In an interview with CBS, Bündchen said, "We met, we started dating, everything is great, and then this happens, so I felt like I didn't know what to do. ... Do I just run away?"
While coming to terms with Moynahan's pregnancy was tough for Brady and Bündchen, they eventually pulled through. Despite Moynahan's admission that Brady "certainly wasn't holding my hand while I pushed" (per Us Weekly), the three now happily co-parent Brady and Moynahan's son, Jack.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen had two weddings in 2009
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen wasted no time getting married after announcing their engagement in January 2009 (per Us Weekly). Bündchen later said that Brady's proposal was the most romantic thing he'd ever done, telling Vogue that Brady set the stage by telling Bündchen that her apartment had flooded and she needed to come over to his place while it was being taken care of. When she arrived, Brady had decorated the entire home. She recalls, "When I got there, the whole apartment had candles and rose petals, and then he went down on his knees to propose."
The pair actually had two weddings! Their first was in front of 20 guests in Santa Monica, California, on February 26, 2009. Brides has revealed that Bündchen actually wore two wedding dresses for the intimate affair: a lace-trimmed wedding gown for the ceremony and a sequined Dolce & Gabbana gown for their at-home reception.
Brady and Bündchen traveled to Costa Rica for their second wedding in April 2009 (via Us Weekly). The guest list at their second wedding was similarly tight, with only 25 people invited to their sunset ceremony.
Gisele Bündchen got pregnant with their first child the year they were married
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen wasted no time when it came to adding to their family — the newlyweds announced Bündchen's first pregnancy a few months after their second wedding in June 2009. Bündchen told People that family was the most important thing in the world to her, so it's not a surprise that she and Brady were ready for kids so quickly. She explained, "I think family is the base to everything. I think that is one of the things [I'm] most grateful for."
The pair's son Benjamin was born at home in Boston — in their bathtub! — in February 2010. Bündchen opted to labor and deliver at home and to experience a water birth with her firstborn. Brady and Bündchen's second child together was born in December 2012, with Bündchen herself announcing their daughter's arrival on Facebook (per The Hollywood Reporter).
With the arrival of their daughter, Brady and Bündchen became parents of three, including Brady's oldest son Jack. In 2009, Bündchen told Vanity Fair she feels Jack is her child as much as any of the kids, saying, "I want him to have a great relationship with his mom, because that's important, but I love him the same way as if he were mine."
In 2015, the pair fought against divorce rumors
Like many couples, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady have weathered both highs and lows. In 2015, Tom Brady was accused of participating in a scam that came to be known as "Deflategate" and that would even threaten the security of his marriage. The scandal remains confusing even years after it happened, but the central allegation was that the Patriots, Brady's football team at the time, had intentionally deflated footballs that were used in a championship game. Brady was suspended for four games and his team ordered to pay $1 million (per Elite Daily).
The scandal reportedly had an enormous impact on his home life. A source told Us Weekly that Brady and Bündchen didn't celebrate their birthdays together that year, and that Brady was taking out his frustration following the football scandal on his wife. The source explained, "Tom's become very nasty and irritable and started acting out on her." The behavior was said to have pushed Bündchen to have a conversation with a divorce lawyer about her options.
However, the publication later noted that in an interview with Boston radio's "Dennis & Callahan," Brady insisted everything was fine. He said, "I've been very blessed to have an incredible relationship with my life partner. I don't think anything would ever get in the way of that" (via Us Weekly).
Gisele Bündchen eventually admitted she and Tom Brady had a few problems
Eventually, the pair must have decided to open up about what they went through. In 2018, Gisele Bündchen revealed the marriage struggles she and Tom Brady faced together, explaining that most followed the births of their children and not the Deflategate scandal as many believed. In her memoir "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life," Bündchen admits that the time period was rough. She wrote, "You're overwhelmed and tired when you're not the nicest partner" (per Us Weekly).
Bündchen also owned up to the internal struggle she dealt with after becoming a mother. While noting that she had wanted to become a mom most of her life, Bündchen still said that the reality of having kids surprised her in a pretty dramatic way. As she put it in her book, "When I became a mom, I kind of lost myself. It was like a part of me died."
Both Brady and Bündchen have also shared that the majority of parenting duties have fallen to Bündchen while Brady's football career has been the family's focus, meaning a lot of their emotional life has been tied to major decisions Brady faces, such as when he will retire. As she puts it in her memoir, when you choose to live alongside a partner, "You suffer with them and you have joy with them" (via People).
Tom Brady says he and Gisele Bündchen prioritize communication
In December 2019, it was Tom Brady's turn to open up about what makes his marriage to Gisele Bündchen work. Brady laid everything out with a quick and snappy acronym: CCC, or "Clear current communication." Brady explained in more detail what that really looks like for the two while speaking to Jason Kennedy for an E! special, noting that as two "ambitious people," there are points at which it's been difficult for the pair to stay connected. He said, "A lot of the times, I'm going one direction and she's going in the other. It's ships passing in the night. I'm going to football, and she's got things she's doing, and oh, by the way, the kids" (via Boston.com).
While being interviewed for Super Soul Sunday around the same time period, Brady told Oprah that Bündchen is also the ideal person to return to each day. He explained that his wife has the power to keep him grounded and happy, noting, "I just love having to come home to someone that engages me every night. She makes me laugh."
Tom Brady has also admitted he hasn't always done what he should for his family
Tom Brady has continued to open up about his marriage to Gisele Bündchen, and in April 2020, he admitted to Howard Stern that he hasn't always been as present for his family as his wife would like him to be. Brady explained that after spending most of the year devoted to the football season, he would find himself wanting to move on to other obligations and pursuits, such as football training, as soon as the season ended. He explained that Bündchen, who has her own career, was frustrated by this: "And she's sitting there going, 'When are you going to do things for the house? When are you going to take the kids to school and do that?'" (via the Independent).
Brady went on to explain that Bündchen had to remind him that she has her own goals and hopes as well, and that being part of a marriage means each partner gives the other time to pursue such aspirations. Things finally clicked for him when Bündchen wrote him a letter about how she felt about their arrangement. Brady said he realized that he needed to balance everything, explaining, "You can get caught up in your life where you think a relationship is great, because it only works for you. And the point of a relationship is that it has to work for both."
Friends say that Gisele Bündchen has helped Tom Brady grow
Friends of the couple have occasionally discussed their marriage with publications, with one source telling Us Weekly that one reason Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady work is that Bündchen has helped Brady grow into a better version of himself. As the source puts it, Bündchen is very creative and operates on a more spiritual plane than Brady, who is described as being more down to Earth. This works because "she stretches him in ways he couldn't have anticipated, and Tom's reliable, so Gisele can always count on him to be a loving husband and father."
Luckily, the two are also great parents together and they agree on all of the most important parts of raising kids. As a family friend told Us Weekly, the pair are totally in sync. The source said, "Tom and Gisele are aligned and symbiotic when it comes to the kids' discipline, and use each life moment as a way to learn and grow."
Gisele Bündchen has often supported Tom Brady's career in big ways
Both Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have been open about the fact that Brady's career as a football player has been the family's major focus. In fact, Bündchen is often clearly Brady's biggest fan, and is often photographed attending games alongside their three children, and she seems to love sharing photos of herself and the kids on Instagram as they're getting ready to cheer on Brady ahead of games.
Bündchen has also used Instagram to support her husband as he's transitioned from playing for one team to another. In February 2021, Bündchen commended her husband on the platform, noting that his transition to playing in Tampa, Florida, had gone more smoothly than many expected largely because of Brady's own skill and perseverance. She wrote, "A lot of people didn't believe you could do it, but you all showed that with time, dedication, trust in one another and with teamwork anything is possible."
Brady has been too happy to thank Bündchen for her support, even telling Howard Stern that his life changed "for the better because I found a wife and a woman that I saw myself with for the rest of my life and she's been an amazing supporter in everything I've done" (via Hello! magazine).
Tom Brady admits Gisele Bündchen has put her career on hold for him
A side effect of all the support that Gisele Bündchen has been able to give her husband Tom Brady over the years seems to be that her own career has suffered. While speaking on the podcast "Let's Go!" in October 2021, Brady admitted as much. Per the New York Post, Brady noted that the pair have had to contend with the issue, admitting that Bündchen hasn't been able to work as much as she would have liked in the ten-plus years they've been together. He said, "I think my wife has, you know, held down the house for a long time now, and I think there's things that she wants to accomplish."
The publication goes on to note that Bündchen had her own thriving career years before she met Brady. The Brazilian-born model signed on with Victoria's Secret in 2000 and walked international runways for years before officially retiring from modeling in 2015. She was so successful that she even earned the title of the highest-paid model in the world. For his part, the football pro hasn't quite pegged down a retirement date.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's body language suggests they will make it
Despite the ups and downs, it's clear that Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen are committed to seeing their marriage through for the rest of their lives. And to that end, it seems body language experts believe the two have what it takes. Body language professional Karen Donaldson told Women's Health as much when she analyzed several photos of the pair in August 2021.
First and foremost, Donaldson told the publication that she believes the two get one another on a truly deep, emotional level. While looking at photos from the pair embracing at the 2019 Met Gala, she explained, "Their stance allows them to align their hearts with each other. This tells us that there's an intense emotional connection."
In other photos, Donaldson pointed out that Bündchen is often photographed leaning her head on Brady, which indicates she feels a deep security with her husband. As for Bündchen's tendency to hold Brady's face when they kiss or embrace, all signs are positive. Donaldson said, "When we touch someone's face, that's an intimate and personal gesture where we show emotion through our actions."