Gisele Bündchen insists Tom Brady’s NFL career wasn’t the only factor in their “not so black and white” divorce.
The supermodel told Vanity Fair in her bombshell April 2023 cover story published Wednesday that the former couple’s 2022 split was “much bigger” than just football.
When asked whether she gave Brady, 45, an ultimatum — their marriage or his job — Bündchen, 42, called the notion “very hurtful” and “the craziest thing [she’s] ever heard.”
The former Victoria’s Secret Angel told the magazine she has “always cheered” for her now-ex-husband, who retired in 2021 and then walked his decision back, only to retire again this February.
“If there’s one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it’s him, believe me,” she clarified. “I want him to achieve and to conquer.
“I want all his dreams to come true,” Bündchen continued, clarifying that she is not “somebody who is against football.”
The businesswoman also claimed that politics “never” made her pull the plug on their 13-year marriage.
She called successful relationships a “dance” and a “balance,” saying, “When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together. As time goes by, we realize that we just wanted different things.”
Bündchen noted that her and Brady’s decision doesn’t mean they “don’t love” each other.
“It just means that in order for you to be authentic and truly live the life that you want to live, you have to have somebody who can meet you in the middle,” she said.
When Page Six broke the news in September 2022 that the now-former couple’s marriage was on the rocks, Bündchen made headlines for cryptic quotes about Brady’s career.
“I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [my husband],” the “Lessons” author told Elle at the time. “I focused on … supporting him and his dreams.
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“I have a huge list of things that I have to do, that I want to do,” she continued. “At 42, I feel more connected with my purpose.”
Less than two months later, she and Brady confirmed via Instagram Stories that they had finalized their divorce.
The Vanity Fair piece marks Bündchen’s first extensive interview on the topic.
The athlete, for his part, has spoken about his new life as a single father on multiple occasions.
In December 2022, Brady called his Christmas celebration with his kids — Jack, 15, Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10 — a “new experience” he would have to “learn how to deal with.”
