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Years After Her 3-Word Divorce Bombshell, Insider Reveals Gisele Bündchen’s True Feelings About Tom Brady
Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady’s divorce may have happened nearly four years ago, but their marriage is back in the spotlight following the release of a new book about the NFL star.
Lars Anderson’s Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness, released on September 28, revisits the difficult final months of their marriage and makes a striking claim about what Bündchen reportedly told Brady before their split.
Highlights
- Gisele Bündchen has reportedly moved on from her divorce from Tom Brady and feels grateful for their years together.
- A new book revisits claims that Bündchen wanted Brady to retire from football and be more present with their family.
- Bündchen has since built a new life with Joaquim Valente.
An insider has also opened up about how the model feels about her former husband today.
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Years after her divorce from Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen is not angry about the separation
The latest insight into Bündchen’s feelings came after the September 29 release of Anderson’s book on Brady.
A source close to Bündchen told People that the model has moved on from the divorce and feels comfortable with her life now.
“She always thought she would be married to Tom for the rest of her life,” the source said. “The divorce was very upsetting, and she struggled to understand it at the time, but she’s not bitter.”
The insider also said Bündchen is “grateful for their children and the years they shared.”
The former couple shares two children, son Benjamin and daughter Vivian. Rather than looking back at the marriage only through its painful ending, the source said Bündchen now sees it as an important part of her life.
“She’s very spiritual and looking back, she feels the universe had another plan for her,” the insider added.
Brady and Bündchen officially divorced in October 2022 after 13 years together
Brady and Bündchen married in February 2009 and went on to build a family together. Their relationship eventually came under intense public attention as Brady continued his NFL career.
The pair finalized their divorce on October 28, 2022, in Glades County, Florida. Court documents described the marriage as dissolved and “irretrievably broken.”
Their divorce settlements were focused on their children rather than attacking each other.
Bündchen wrote at the time that she and Brady had “grown apart.” She also said she felt “blessed for the time we had together” and wished him the best.
“My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart,” she wrote, adding that they would continue co-parenting.
Brady similarly described the divorce as “painful and difficult.” He said the couple had reached the decision “amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together.”
He also said their children would remain “the center of our world in every way.”
Anderson’s book offers a different look at what may have happened behind closed doors
The new book offers a different look at what may have happened behind closed doors.
According to Anderson’s account, Bündchen had been unhappy about Brady’s continued commitment to football for years. One reported moment came after the Patriots’ 2017 Super Bowl victory.
Bündchen allegedly asked Brady, “Would now be the perfect time to retire?”
Brady reportedly replied, “Too bad, babe. I’m having too much fun right now.”
The issue did not disappear. Anderson also cited former Brady teammate Jay Feely, who said Bündchen once asked him to encourage Brady to retire for his family’s sake.
“She was d*ad serious,” Feely reportedly said.
The book also claims Bündchen wrote Brady a serious letter after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl in 2018. According to Anderson, she wanted Brady to be more present at home, spend more time with their children, and give her more room to focus on her own career.
“She needed more of him, more of his time, more of his attention, more of his heart,” Anderson wrote.
The tension became even more complicated in 2022, when Brady briefly retired from the NFL before changing his mind and returning to play.
Anderson’s book claims that during this period, Bündchen eventually told Brady, “We’re not compatible.”
According to the source Anderson cites, Bündchen was discussing the relationship through astrology when she reached that conclusion.
“And just like that, she was done,” Anderson wrote, as reported by Bored Panda.
Those three words have become one of the book’s most talked-about claims.
However, Bündchen’s own explanation of the divorce was less dramatic.
In her 2023 Vanity Fair interview, she pushed back against the idea that one event or ultimatum destroyed their marriage.
“What’s been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. It’s not so black and white,” she said.
She also made it clear that she did not view Brady as an enemy.
Bündchen’s comments after the divorce showed that she still cared about Brady even though their marriage had ended
In the same Vanity Fair interview, she rejected the idea that she wanted to see her former husband fail.
“Listen, I have always cheered for [Tom], and I would continue forever,” she said.
She then explained just how strongly she still wished him well.
“If there’s one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it’s him, believe me,” Bündchen said. “I want him to achieve and to conquer. I want all his dreams to come true.”
She also said that the end of their relationship was heartbreaking because she had given everything she could to make the marriage work.
“You give everything you got to achieve your dream… You give a hundred percent of yourself, and it’s heartbreaking when it doesn’t end up the way you hoped for, and worked for,” she said.
Bündchen’s life also changed significantly after the divorce.
She began a relationship with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente after their friendship reportedly became romantic. A source told People in February 2024 that the two had started as close friends and that Bündchen had wanted to keep the relationship private while they got to know each other.
Another insider described Valente as a major source of comfort while Bündchen was dealing with her divorce from Brady.
“He is down to earth, kind and inspiring,” the source said. “Gisele was hesitant about dating after the divorce. It’s been very natural for her to date Joaquim.”
The source also said the pair had similar backgrounds and shared interests, including their love of Miami, travel and healthy living.
@gma EXCLUSIVE: Robin Roberts sits down with @Gisele Bündchen as she opens up about her divorce, co-parenting, and her next chapter. Stream the full interview on IMPACT by Nightline on @hulu. #giselebundchen#exclusive#family#coparenting#divorce♬ original sound – Good Morning America
“Gisele’s in a great space. She is happy and very much enjoying life. Joaquim is perfect for her,” the insider said.
The couple welcomed a son in February 2025 and later married in December 2025 in Florida.
Now, the latest source says Bündchen feels grateful for this new chapter.
“She feels so blessed to have become a mom again,” the insider told People. “She loves the life she has with Joaquim and their family in Miami.”
“Bro chose his career”, one comment reads
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