Here's What Could Happen If Gisele Bündchen And Tom Brady Divorce
Fans of Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen were stunned when rumors that the two had each hired divorce lawyers began to surface in October 2022. Stunned, but also not entirely surprised, as Bündchen has been especially vocal about her displeasure at Brady's unretirement from the NFL. While there are likely many reasons why the two might soon part ways, this decision appears to be at the heart of their ongoing marital strife.
In early October 2022, a source close to Bündchen told People that the marriage is effectively over, as Bündchen doesn't see a way that the relationship can be fixed. As the source said, "She is done with their marriage. She was upset about it for a long time and it's still difficult, but she feels like she needs to move on. She doesn't believe that her marriage can be repaired."
In a September 2002 interview with Elle, Bündchen explained that she wasn't really happy with Brady's decision, but that ultimately he has to do what he has to do. As she put it, "Ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]." With those ominous words in mind, here's a look at what Brady and Bündchen stand to lose if they divorce.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen will probably file in Florida
If Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen go through with their divorce, it's very likely the pair will file in Florida, where they have lived since Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Florida is currently the pair's primary base, and they have both remained in the state as rumors about the state of their marriage have spread.
Brady and Bündchen bought a $17 million property on Indian Creek Island in Miami in 2020. The island is home to fellow celebrities Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and as People has pointed out, is well-known for being able to provide the level of privacy that Brady and Bündchen likely prefer. In 2022, it was reported that the two had torn down the pre-existing home on the property in favor of building several smaller structures. As noted by the Daily Mail, when construction began it was unclear what the layout of the Florida home would be.
It's equally unclear why the two chose to live in Miami instead of Tampa, where Brady's home games take place. Before purchasing their property, Brady and Bundchen rented Derek Jeter's 30,000-square-foot mansion in Tampa (via People).
Tom Brady could lose a lot of money
When Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen first met, the supermodel was the higher earner of the two. But as attorney Sue Moss told People, that's not the case anymore — and any spousal support awarded in a potential divorce between the pair would likely be based on what Brady was earning at the peak of his career. Moss said, "The big challenge for him is everything will be determined at the height of his income, because to get him to come back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to come up with a lot of cash — and that is the baseline for determining the support in this case."
When Brady returned to the Buccaneers in April 2022, the team took the surprising move of restructuring his previous base salary into a signing bonus. As noted by the NFL, in the new deal Brady's income is capped at $20 million. Of course, this is relatively light compared to the estimated $500 million he has made throughout his entire career — and the $375 million, 10-year deal Brady signed to come on board Fox Sports as an analyst (via Sports Illustrated).
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen will need to divide their properties
In addition to boasting two wildly successful careers that have given them huge wealth, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen own at least four properties between the two of them. These include their land purchase in Florida, a house at the Yellowstone Resort in Montana, an apartment in New York, and a home in Costa Rica that the family often uses as a vacation spot (per People). The pair's apartment in New York was purchased so Brady could have a home base for his son Jack, who lives in the city with his mother Bridget Moynahan (via People).
The Costa Rica property is said to be a favorite of Bündchen's, and she spent time at the home in September 2022 while the pair were rumored to be fighting (via Page Six). The family also spent significant time at the property during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic (via Fox News).
They could face a tough custody battle
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have two biological children, and Bündchen has been a stepmother to Brady's oldest son Jack for a decade. While the hope is that settling on a custody agreement is easy for the couple, many who have been through a divorce know that hammering out those details can become tough.
New York divorce attorney Jacqueline Newman told People that it's clear Bündchen has done a lot for their kids. Newman said, "It really does seem that [Bündchen] has dedicated her life to these children. I'm sure he is dedicated to the children, but he travels a lot. He's not involved as much in the day-to-day. She may want more stability for them." In that vein, Bündchen might try to argue for majority custody, though it's unclear what, if any, right she might have to keep their oldest son Jack in her life.
So far, it appears the couple plans to ask for joint custody of their kids. Sources close to Page Six explained that both Brady and Bündchen are involved in their children's lives, and that the goal would be to keep things that way.
Tom and Gisele also have businesses to think about
In addition to their separate careers in the NFL and as a supermodel and author, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen run several businesses together and on their own. Each of these will likely be impacted by a potential divorce.
When Brady initially announced his plans to retire from the NFL, he was clear that he planned to spend his newfound time running three companies: Autograph, BRADY, and TB12 Sports. As explained by Sporting News, his company Autograph allows users to buy and sell NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. BRADY is an athletic apparel company, and TB12 Sports is Brady's lifestyle and wellness brand.
Bündchen launched her own lingerie brand in 2013. As Today noted at the time, this wasn't her first foray into design, as Bündchen had previously designed sandals for Ipanema and created a clothing line with C&A. She's also the woman behind beauty brand Sejaa, which she founded in 2019 (per Women Fitness).