12 Gisele Bündchen Moments That Surely Made Tom Brady Eat His Heart Out

Since her divorce from Tom Brady in October 2022, Gisele Bündchen has entered a new phase of her public and private life. And let's face it, she probably struck a nerve. Instead of retreating to heal her wounds, she has chosen not to dim her spotlight, but not in an attention-seeking way. Her appearances, interviews, and personal milestones show a woman unapologetically taking life by the horns.

In the immediate aftermath of the split, Bündchen kept a relatively low profile, as the divorce of one of the biggest celebrity couples naturally brought a lot of unwanted attention and speculation. Within months, however, her name returned to headlines for reasons that had little to do with her past marriage. Whether it was her evolving relationship with professional jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, new projects, or candid interviews about personal growth, the narrative began to shift from that of a wounded ex, to that of an empowered woman.

Part of what has defined this new period is how deliberately she has shared information about her new life. She didn't broadcast every step of the separation publicly, and hasn't been trying to "throw shade" at her ex or use her divorce as a weapon. But that doesn't mean she's stayed silent. Slowly, she has clarified timelines, addressed rumors directly, and shared as much of her new life as she felt comfortable sharing, all without succumbing to newly-divorced clichés.

But it's not just her personal life that has been thriving. Her modeling career has not stalled, and she has been broadening her horizons with new ventures. The difference is that her work, like everything in her life now, is more intentional, more authentic. That's the glow we see: the glow of a woman living her truth.

It wasn't long after the divorce was finalized that rumors of Gisele Bündchen's new relationship started flying. In late 2022, she was photographed with her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente, in Costa Rica. At the time, sources denied any romantic relationship, explaining that Bündchen had been training with Valente and his brothers for self-defense and the two of them had formed a friendship.

However, by early 2024, they stopped hiding the truth. A source reported to People that they had made their relationship official, though the report maintained that it was originally just friendship, and it was a while before it developed. Bündchen had been training at the Valente Brothers academy in Miami for some time and had previously praised the practice in an interview with Dust magazine (via Valente Brothers), calling it "empowering" and "in line with what I believe in and look for in my life."

For more than a year, Bündchen did not define the relationship publicly, even as speculation continued. The relationship becoming public in 2024 placed a clear distance between the end of her marriage and the start of something new, which, amid constant rumors regarding why she and Brady broke up, becomes important for her image.

After her relationship with Joaquim Valente was made public, Gisele Bündchen took her time to enjoy a nice, low-key relationship. After being married to another celebrity for so long, it's only natural that she would want to slow down. However, earlier this year, at the launch of Garnier Fructis Diamond Sleek spray in Miami, she flashed her wedding band, per Page Six. While everyone knew their relationship was solid, this was the model's first public appearance since marrying Valente in December 2025. 

In other words, it was the first time the world had seen her wedding ring. Rough day to be Tom Brady. She showed up at the party in a beautiful silver dress, but the ring was the belle of the ball. Even though it was sleek and discreet, it made it clear to fans: Gisele Bündchen has turned over a new leaf.

In 2024, reports began circulating that Gisele Bündchen was expecting a child with Joaquim Valente. Fans went wild over this, as it made painfully clear that Bündchen had completely left her old life behind. The model eventually stopped trying to hide her baby bump and embraced both her pregnancy and this new chapter of her motherhood.

While the exact date wasn't shared, the new baby was born in early 2025, and while the family has kept mostly private, for the baby boy's first birthday, she made a rare post sharing photos and details about the celebration, offering a glimpse into a part of Bündchen's family life. "I can't believe it's already been over a year since you came to bless our lives. Thank you, God, for so much," she wrote on the Instagram caption.

The photos were simply adorable: the baby in his mother's arms, playing with his siblings, cuddling his pets, and even "training" with his father in a baby jiu-jitsu uniform. Bündchen shares two older children with Tom Brady, but the arrival of another child, with a different partner, and in her 40s, shows just how much her life has changed in a matter of years.

After her divorce, Gisele Bündchen settled in Miami, purchasing a waterfront property in an area that afforded her significant privacy. The move placed her closer to Tom Brady, who also has a home in the region, making co-parenting logistics easier. And rubbing her glow-up on her ex-husband's face, of course.

In a Vogue feature, Bündchen described Miami as feeling like her home country. "It feels like Brazil — I love how warm people are," she said. The climate, the outdoor lifestyle, and the cultural mix undoubtedly contribute to this. She has been frequently photographed walking along the beach, spending time outdoors, and maintaining a routine that includes exercise and school runs with her children. The change of scenery also makes it easier to keep up with jiu-jitsu, which she practices regularly with the Valente brothers.

Unlike her previous life in the Northeast, which was often tied to Brady's football schedule, her time in Miami appears more flexible. She enjoys nature, warmth, owning animals, and being able to give her children a more peaceful life.

The move has been consistent rather than transitional. More than two years later, Miami remains her primary base, making it clear that this is a long-term shift rather than a temporary, post-divorce adjustment.

In her March 2023 cover story for Vanity Fair, Gisele Bündchen addressed her divorce in detail for the first time, and everyone who read it could see how liberating the catharsis was. In the interview, she described the end of her marriage as "like a death and a rebirth," a phrase that moved fans to the core. "It's tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?" she said, her voice cracking.

She also pushed back against the narrative that disagreements over Tom Brady's football career caused their divorce. "Listen, I have always cheered for him, and I would continue forever," she stated. "If there's one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it's him, believe me. I want him to achieve and to conquer. I want all his dreams to come true. That's what I want, really, from the bottom of my heart."

The interview gave her supporters incredible insight into her mindset at the time. Bündchen spoke about therapy, self-reflection, and the process of understanding what she needed moving forward. Rather than framing the divorce as a single event, she described it as part of a longer period of change, not good or bad, but necessary. And through it all, she made it abundantly clear: she has moved on.

When Gisele Bündchen received the first copy of her cookbook, "Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body and Feed Your Soul," it was a monumental moment for her. It marked a turning point in her career, her pivot from model to wellness guru.

She shared the moment on social media with an emotional Instagram video, and the significance of the achievement was clear in her voice. She called her book "a work of love," and excitedly described the content to her fans.

"I'm literally touching it — I can't believe it," she gushed, and then she added something that really drove the point home: "Of all of the things I've done, it's completely different."

She went over the most important recipes in the book, including those she used when her children were sick. It's clear that the release of "Nourish" turned personal habits and passions into a professional project. Since her divorce, Bündchen has leaned more heavily into topics like wellness, mindfulness, and daily routines in interviews and on her social media. For her, being a wellness advocate is no longer a hobby; it has become a central theme in how she presents herself.

Despite stepping back from full-time runway work, Gisele Bündchen never stopped being an A-list model. She still has plenty of fashion houses and magazines begging her to work with them, and hasn't lost even a hint of her old magic. In early 2024, she appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, accompanied by an iconic editorial spread. Her longevity in an industry where people's careers tend to be short is undoubtedly admirable, and speaks to her current relevance.

Bündchen has also remained a frequent presence in Vogue, both in editorial content and as part of broader features on legacy models. Her continued association with top-tier publications reinforces her status within the industry, even though she's now broadening her horizons and dabbling in other career paths.

The difference with her earlier modeling work is the frequency. Much like everything else we mentioned, her modeling career has also benefited from her more intentional choices. The magazine covers she does, the interviews she gives, the clothes she wears, they're all carefully curated decisions that fit into her new pace of life.

Gisele Bündchen's public appearances after her divorce have been relatively infrequent, but when she did step out, the world turned to look. She knows how to build anticipation and then dazzle everyone with her charm. Whether attending fashion events or being photographed in everyday settings, if she's out and about, everyone knows. And Tom Brady no doubt hears about it everywhere.

Even giving birth to her third child has not slowed her down. Just a few months after her son with Joaquim Valente was born, she jetted off to Qatar for the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards, where she wore a fitted suit and dazzled the cameras with her carefree smiles. She attended various glam events during her weekend visit, People reported, and showed off her figure in different couture outfits.

Her style during these appearances has remained consistent with her long-established image. She tends to favor neutral tones, minimal accessories, and clean silhouettes, letting her innate glow and grace do the work.

Everyone tells mothers to take time for themselves, but it doesn't always land well when working moms decide to actually do it. After the divorce, Gisele Bündchen has stopped apologizing for putting herself first. In a candid interview with People, she opened up about how she learned to prioritize herself, not just for her own well-being but also her children's.

"No one is going to do it for you. The only person that's going to make those choices is you. Because ultimately, you're the first person who's going to be impacted by it. But then, it's your children, it's your husband, it's your family," she explained. "You got to put the oxygen mask on you first."

Self-care and prioritizing herself has been what's kept her family afloat while she was dealing with her divorce. And she won't tolerate anyone criticizing her for that. "It's not a selfish thing. People have been teaching us that it's selfish if you take care of you. How is that selfish?" she questioned. "When you feel good, you're a better mom, you're a better friend, you're calmer, you're more patient, you're more loving, you're more grounded."

In that same vein, she encouraged other women to follow in her footsteps and choose themselves every once in while. "You can't feel guilty about prioritizing yourself," she said. "Because that's loving you and loving the people you love the most, which are going to be impacted by how well you are. Because if you're sick, everyone's hurts."

When Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady's divorce was announced, people were devastated. And yes, it was incredibly hard for the family, but Bündchen never regretted the decision, even when it hurt. She knew it was what they both needed, that they now wanted different things in life. And most importantly, she knew that she wasn't willing to give up any of her dreams for someone else anymore.

"My dream was to raise my kids here," Bündchen told Vanity Fair, referring to Costa Rica. "I didn't get to be here as much as I'd like, but now I'm bringing them more often." Living in Miami now surely gets closer to that desire than living in Boston or Tampa ever did.

During the interview, she discussed how she had to put her dreams on hold so Brady could progress in his career, and while she never regretted raising her children and being there for them, she also wants them to see her as a woman with her own ambitions.

"I have dreams," she insisted. "I have my own dreams," and she wanted the opportunity to pursue them, for herself and to inspire her kids. "You want to show them that, in life, you have to find real fulfillment, not living something that you're not."

She described her divorce as breaking out of a cage: "When you love someone, you don't put them in a jail and say, 'You have to live this life.' You set them free to be who they are, and if you want to fly the same direction, then that's amazing."

When she and Tom Brady divorced, Gisele Bündchen received countless attacks of people blaming her for the separation. Rumors were flying around, accusing her of resenting Brady's decision to undo his retirement, and even claiming that they divorced because she cheated on him with her current husband, Joaquim Valente.

While she kept mostly quiet about the situation for a long time, claiming she didn't want to "make [her] life into a tabloid," she eventually addressed the accusations directly, calling them "a lie." She also blamed misogyny for the way she was treated after the divorce.

"This is something that happens to a lot of women who get blamed when they have the courage to leave an unhealthy relationship and are labeled as being unfaithful," Bündchen told The New York Times. "They have to deal with their communities. They have to deal with their family. Of course for me, it just happens to be a little bit amplified." So, no, it wasn't Valente that got between the former power couple. Now, leave her alone.

As we already said, Gisele Bündchen remains a prominent figure in the fashion world. But just because she's still very active in her fashion career, that doesn't mean she wants to go back to the runways full time. And she has no qualms about turning people down. Like we said, this new era of her life is all about boundaries.

"Believe me, every year [designers] ask, 'Please, Gisele, do the runway,' " she told Elle in 2022, but despite the countless offers, she reiterated she had "zero desire" to return to the runway, claiming that it didn't give her the same sense of fulfillment that working with a photographer in a private setting gave her.

Still, she has plenty of fond memories of her times owning the runways of fashion shows all over the world. Her favorite one was when she returned to her home country for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and walked in front of almost 80,000 people. "There's never going to be a moment or a runway like that," she said.