Fans have rushed to the defense of NFL legend Tom Brady after he was ‘dad-shamed’ for a video showing him jumping from a cliff with his six-year-old daughter while on holiday in Costa Rica.
New England Patriots quarterback Brady shared the video with his 6.3 million Instagram followers over the weekend, showing him and his daughter Vivian taking the plunge near a waterfall.
Brady and the youngster steady themselves before leaping around 10ft into the natural pool, although the NFL icon appears to tug his daughter slightly by the arm as she follows him.
Both emerged from the water unscathed, and Brady captioned the video: “If Vivi is going to be an Olympic champion one day, it probably won’t be in synchronized diving. Daddy always gives her a 10 though!”
The video prompted concern from some, including WWE and Hollywood star the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who wrote: “You KNOW I have complete faith in you as a man, friend, player and father - but this just gave me anxiety. Geeezus.”
Others outright ‘dad-shamed’ the six-time Super Bowl champion, with one commenter writing: “Absolutely the most stupid and dangerous thing for a 6 yr. old child to do. You should be ASHAMED.”
Another added: “Very irresponsible. You hit that water hard. He could have broken her arm when jumping. Holding on to her arm, it could have wrenched. Could have lost her hitting the eater. Really bad move. Very poor parental choice. Very shocked.”
But amid the backlash over the big splash, Brady fans and others have pointed out that the father-of-three was simply doing “dad-type” stuff – and that the drop did not appear to be all that significant.
Brady, 41, is married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, with whom he has two children, Vivian and Benjamin. The NFL star also has a son, John, from a previous relationship.
The Patriots star is preparing for an incredible 20th season in the NFL, and will be aiming to help his team defend the Super Bowl title they won by beating the Los Angeles Rams last season.